Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #4 September 2025

My Frugal Week

On Tuesday I stopped at Walmart and used my $25 gift card on groceries. I bought cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, cheese, turkey pepperoni, onions, red peppers, black olives, and a watermelon. The extra $25 came in handy as I’m watching my pennies due to the auto repair this month. 

On Saturday I chopped an onion, red pepper, and diced up some of the chicken breast for Bailey to have on Sunday when she does her breakfast meal prep for the week. This week she made a breakfast casserole using part of the chicken we bought last week. 

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken, Garden Salad, and Baked Potatoes. 

For this dinner I used up the last of a container of Kroger Italian dressing from the refrigerator. I placed it in the crockpot and let it cook most of the day, so it was fork tender by dinner time. 

Tuesday ~ Homemade Pizza, Salad, and Watermelon for Movie Night. 🎥 

I was out of mozzarella cheese and turkey pepperoni, so I picked up those items to make pizza for dinner. I used one of the Joseph’s lavish flat breads, bought on markdown, for the crust as they are low carb and do not impact my blood sugar like regular pizza crust made with white flour. 

Wednesday ~ Meatloaf, Roasted Potatoes, Corn on the Cob. 

.

The meatloaf was made and frozen without cooking before, so all I had to do was thaw and bake. Sides were Yukon gold potatoes roasted with EVOO and fresh corn on the cob. 

Thursday ~ Meatloaf or Roast Beef, Cheesy Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Pickled Beets. 

This was a motley crew of leftovers after a tutoring session for my niece. I had an emergency errand to run earlier in the day, which made everything later than usual. So, after they left from tutoring I did the best I could to get dinner on the table. 

Using the last of the meatloaf from the day before, and opening a small can of roast beef, opened and made some canned potatoes topping them with cheese, and the leftover corn on the cob from the day before too. It worked, satisfying our hunger and I didn’t spend money on takeout. 

Friday & Saturday ~ Mesquite BBQ Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Cabbage, & Onions, and Bean Salad. 

Using my electric knife, I cut the chicken breast into slices.  Bailey had hers as a sandwich, but I had mine sans bread. I sliced a tomato and served pickles, onions, and lettuce for her sandwich. 

I cut and sliced the potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and onions and used some EVOO and garlic salt for seasoning and roasted the vegetables. I also made a bean salad earlier in the day and added onions, red peppers, and tomatoes to it as well. And I cut up a small watermelon for anyone wanting something sweet after dinner. 

Sunday ~ Roasted Chicken, Roasted Cabbage & Onions, Roasted Potatoes. 

After dinner I pulled all the meat from the chicken bones and then, using my crockpot, made the most beautiful chicken broth, which I saved and froze for another day. I also froze the remaining chicken meat for another day as well. 

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

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

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

Image Credit

Third Frugal Friday of September 2025

Welcome to Frugal Friday
My Frugal Week
I kept track of all my spending last week and only spent money for gasoline paying $2.66 per gallon and one small grocery order consisting of two items for $10.61. I entered my receipts into Fetch and NCP. 
I received a payout from the Robitussin class action lawsuit for $36.00. 
On Saturday I walked the half mile to our mailbox and back. 

On Monday I received a $25 gift card to Walmart from my insurance company for getting my mammogram done this summer. I used it for groceries to pick up a few items we needed. 
Freebies

I picked up this free water test kit from Lowe’s this week. They had multiple free kits right inside the entrance if you’re interested in getting one. 
Saving on Electric
Our electric bill was $34.51 lower than last month’s electric bill. So, turning the air on eco at night is helping to save money on our electric bill. I love this time of year when we can expect lower electric bills due to not needing the air conditioner, which is our biggest electric expense, as much.
We had a fan fall onto the chain for the light above our washing machine and pull the light fixture out of the ceiling this week. It’s already been fixed, but just to be safe I did turn the power off to the whole house when we left to get replacement parts. 
Photo of the Week

This is the new blessing box at the church near our home. The box used to be a plastic bin with a rock on it so the wind wouldn’t blow it away, which was less than ideal. So this new upgrade is really nice. I put a few things in there yesterday and again today. I enjoy going and seeing what people take from the box. 
Savings of the Week ~ Bargain of the Week

My bargain of the week came from United Grocery Outlet. They had these Mesquite BBQ Seasoned Chicken Breasts on sale for $1.99 per pound, and most of them were $12.50 or more. But, I found one that was oddly very low in price marked at $1.64, and it was the only one like that, so I picked it up and brought it home. 
When I got home I put it on the scale and turns out the weight on the label was wrong. This chicken breast was over six pounds and not the .81 pounds stamped on the label. Oops! I don't think it was as much as a bargain of the week as it was more of a mistake from their meat department.  

Saving Money on Entertainment
This week I watched the film, The Unforgivable, on Netflix. It had a surprise ending and I really enjoyed watching it. 
I’ve also been watching Forensic Files for free on Facebook under the video reels section. I throughly enjoy watching these as they prove there is no such thing as the perfect crime. The show went for fourteen seasons and can also be watched on Amazon Prime if you have that subscription. 
What I've been Reading This Week
This week I've been watching Facebook reels for Suttons Daze, which led me to her YouTube channel and her website. She is a wealth of information on building a pantry, everyday preparedness, food preservation and more.  Her Project Pantry  archives are full of ideas, and tips to help you build your pantry for your family with food you eat everyday. It's definitely worth a look see.  

How was your week?

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

Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #3 September 2025

 

My Frugal Week

Last Monday I decided to take the leftover turkey carcass to the county dumpster. I've been battling a raccoon getting into the garbage here, which I didn’t want, so I fixed that issue. 

Since I didn't have much garbage, I decided to take advantage of that and went downstairs to clear out the few things left in my Dad’s refrigerator and freezer. Some yogurt, a frozen pizza, a couple of water jugs, and a chocolate cake I made him for his last birthday, which was a 9 x 13 size. He had frozen it so he could have a piece every now and then. 

All that remains in that refrigerator/freezer is the one turkey we have left. On a good note, we can use that fridge as a back up to ours upstairs in case we need any extra cold storage, which does happen from time to time.  

On Monday afternoon I sorted and rinsed some pinto beans and put them into a bowl of water to soak overnight and cooked them in the Instant Pot the next day. This made additions to various meals all week long. 

Photo of the Week

These are the acorn squash we received for free last week, nine in all. We enjoyed them two times last week. 

Recipe of the Week

This is a recipe for healthy brownies that I tried recently. I’ve tweaked the recipe a little and added my own touches to make them taste better. This is really good with just a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt on top, sort of like a sweet and savory combination. 

Brownies

Ingredients:

3 bananas, ripened

1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla (my addition)

1/2 teaspoon salt (my addition)

Directions: 

Mash bananas and add to a bowl.

Add peanut butter and cocoa and mix well.

Stir in vanilla and salt and stir together.

Place in an 8x8 pan and spread out.

I used parchment paper to keep them from sticking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

 

What Was for Dinner

Monday ~ Turkey Salad on Pita Bread, Bean Salad and Corn 

Using the Jennieo Roasted Turkey I made over the weekend, I borrowed a tip from Carol on the Living Simply Facebook group and made Turkey salad for dinner. 

I cut up the turkey, added Greek yogurt, chopped onions, apples, pecans, celery, and raisins along with some salt, pepper, and light mayonnaise. I served these on whole wheat pita bread along with bean salad and corn as the side dishes. 

Bailey liked the turkey salad so much she asked me to repeat the process with the other turkey, so we may not be saving that one for Thanksgiving after all. 

Tuesday ~ General Tso's Chicken & Grilled Chicken Salad 

I had a General Tso Chicken from Whole Foods in the freezer, so I thawed that for Bailey to have for her dinner. I had a grilled chicken salad for my dinner. 

Wednesday ~ Turkey Polish Sausage, Pinto Beans, Cooked Carrots 

I had planned on making Lentil Loaf today, and even had the lentils cooked, only to walk into the kitchen at dinner making time to find Bailey working with tie dye in the kitchen sink, and then a mishap as a leak was discovered in her bin, which leaked onto the kitchen floor. 

After the cleanup I needed a new plan as there wasn’t enough time left to make the lentil loaf. So, I took a package of Turkey Polish Sausage out of the freezer and put them on the grill. I already had pinto beans cooked in the instant pot and would use those and put a bag of baby carrots in my other instant pot and those were done in ten minutes. Whew, crisis diverted. 😂 

Thursday ~ Lentil Loaf, Baked Acorn Squash, and Carrots. 

The lentils were already cooked for dinner, so this was an easy meal prep. This was an inexpensive meal as the lentils, oats and acorn squash were given to me, all I had to pay for was the onion, cheese, egg, and tomato sauce. 

Remember when I bought those eight can of tomato sauce this summer at a church yard sale for 25 cents? I used half of one of those in this dish, so this was definitely an inexpensive main dish. 

We just love this recipe so much! It’s delicious and I’m grateful to Jennifer who posted it on the Living Simply Facebook group. Bailey had two helpings as she really enjoys it too. The acorn squash was also delicious. 

Friday ~ Hamburgers with Cheese, and Corn on the Cob. 

I went to Food City to get some cheese for dinner. I spotted this 1.64 pound package of ground round on markdown for $5.90, so I bought it and when I got home Bailey wanted me to make hamburgers with for dinner, so that is what we had. I served them with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and pickles. 

Saturday ~ Bean & Cheese Enchiladas, Mexican Corn, and Salad. 

Pinto Beans were soaked overnight and cooked earlier in the week. All I had to do today was mash them up to make refried beans and then make the enchiladas. Rather than use sour cream in the recipe I used blended cottage cheese. I added some cumin and mild green chilies to the beans. I made eight of them and ended up with three leftover. 

Sunday ~ Leftovers, Acorn Squash, and Mixed Vegetables

We had enough bean and cheese enchiladas and lentil loaf to have for dinner tonight. Even after dinner I still have one slice of lentil loaf, which I’ll eat for lunch tomorrow. Sides were baked acorn squash along with a bag of frozen mix vegetables, which is a such a great convenience food to keep on hand. 

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

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

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

Image Credit

Second Frugal Friday of September 2025

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
This week I was able to tun off the air conditioning in the main part of the house at night, which will save on our electric bill. I also turned off any lights, and unplugged appliances not in use. 
As I mentioned last week, this is a month where I will be scrimping and saving more than usual due to an expensive car repair at the first of September, and not wanting to dip into my savings. 
Other than one doctor visit, I stayed home this week, which saves the gas in my car for necessary trips. When I'm home, I'm not spending money on anything. I also had my prescription mailed to me this week rather than drive to town and pick it up. I did not buy anything or spend any money this week. We simply made do with what is here.
I found out recently that my health insurance will reimburse me 70 cents per mile when I drive myself to the doctor. I wish I had known about this sooner as I could have saved a lot in gas expenses.  My Health News ~ (Feel free to skip)
Last Friday I went to the orthopedic surgeon who did my second knee replacement in March. He was happy with my progress and I told him he had changed my life and how grateful I was to him. He gave me a hug and said there was no need to come back for two years! Woo Hoo! I love that. A three year plus goal met and crossed off my list. 💕 Afterwards I went by CVS and got three vaccines. My flu shot for the year, a Covid booster shot, and a shot for RSV. I’m happy to have all of that done now as I’m a firm believer in vaccines. They also gave me a coupon for $10 off a $20 purchase, which is  good until the end of the year. 
On Wednesday I had my three month checkup with my primary care physician and received a good report. She does want me to see a vascular surgeon, however. 
Freebies
We were given multiple free acorn squash this week. We had our first one with dinner on Thursday and they are delicious. 
How was your week?

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

Saving Money in My Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #2 September 2025

My Frugal Week

On Monday evening I made more gelatin cups sans fruit. We used up or froze all leftovers, so no food waste this week.

I made a small grocery order for pickup on Tuesday and restocked plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, chicken, salad stuff, and frozen fruit. 

On Thursday I went inside Walmart to pick up a few things such as garbage bags. I buy contractor bags as they are heavy duty, so when the young boys who pick up our garbage throw them down the stairs, they won’t break open. 

I brought the turkey from the downstairs refrigerator, where it had been thawing, upstairs and placed in the refrigerator up here to cook on Saturday for dinners over the weekend. We still have one turkey in the downstairs freezer, which I may save for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Recipe of the Week

A few years ago I used to have a green smoothie for breakfast and recently I watched a YouTube video from a doctor who still has a green smoothie for breakfast. Since I am out of cottage cheese and yogurt as my usual proteins, I decided on a green smoothie today. 

I've used different recipes and combinations for Green Smoothies, but this is the one I used on Monday. 

Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk (I used the Aldi brand)

1 cup spinach

1 cup frozen blackberries

1 scoop blueberry protein powder

1.5 tablespoons acai powder

1 tablespoon gooseberry powder

1 cup water

Directions: 

Add all ingredients to a blender.

Blend well. Enjoy.

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ We had several days worth of leftovers, so that was what we had for dinner on Monday. Choices were Chicken Stir Fry, Salmon Patties, Ham, Soup or Green Beans, and fruit choices of Baked Apples, Grilled Peaches, or Watermelon. 

I had the last of the ham, soup beans, and half a grilled peach. I put the salmon patties into the freezer after dinner for another day. 

Tuesday ~ Bailey had her favorite BBQ Chicken and Pineapple pizza for her movie night. I had a Grilled Chicken Salad. 

Wednesday ~ Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Soup Beans, Sliced Tomatoes, and Air Fried Peaches. It was all I could do after a long day of running errands. I really wanted to get something to bring home for dinner, but my desire to not spend money when I have food at home won out. Yay! 

Thursday ~ We finished the last of the soup beans for dinner along with…more air fried peaches, and I made some grilled chicken along side a salad. 

Friday ~ Turkey Meatballs in Brown Gravy, Mixed Vegetables, and Field Peas with Snaps. 😋 

Saturday & Sunday ~ Roasted Turkey, Green Beans with Onions, and Bean Salad. This was a Jennieo Whole Turkey weighing 13.45 pounds. I also made some homemade turkey gravy with the pan juices. 

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

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

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

Image Credit