First Frugal Friday of December 2022

Welcome to Friday! 
My Frugal Week
We are heartbroken this week as our sweet kitty Beaux Gatsby passed away unexpectedly on Sunday. We only had him for six months and he was only a few months older than that. We decided to have him cremated and placed next to Big Kitty. 
Bailey went with her bonus Grandma last Friday to the aquarium in Chattanooga. Her friend bought all three of them tickets. 
One of the Christmas presents I bought was reduced in price with both a discount code and a $10 rewards certificate. ($18 saved)
Joy of the Week
We had a nice surprise come here this week. UPS dropped off a package on Wednesday evening. It was a Ghirardelli gift basket from my sister and her family. 
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
My big money saver this week was a stockpot of homemade vegetable soup, which we ate all week long. 
Meals This Week
ChiliChicken TendersPot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, CarrotsChiliPizzaCheesy Potatoes Vegetable Soup

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. This is a short blog post because it’s been a hard week here. I’ll be sure and do a longer blog post next Friday. 
BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree

Fourth & Final Frugal Friday of November 2022

Welcome to Friday! 
Price of Gas & Barrel of Oil this Week
Gasoline is $2.60 per gallon here while oil is $77.90 per barrel. 
My Frugal Week
It’s been a quiet week here even with Thanksgiving. This is the first Thanksgiving without Mom, and Dad returned to Illinois earlier this month. We do have company coming on Friday for two days, so that will be good. I made a stockpot full of chili for when they are here. 
I have about half of my Christmas shopping done already. I’ve also been thinking about what we will serve for Christmas this year. What do you plan on serving this year? I am thinking about Lasagne on Christmas Eve, and I’m going to start making my list so I can get organized ahead of time. 
Avoiding Spending
Remember the more effort you put into frugal and resourceful living during the times when you have more money than month, the easier it will be to get through the times when there is more month than money.
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
We did all the usual money saving tips this week like eating all the leftovers, keeping the dishes washed and kitchen cleaned so we feel like going in there to cook. It’s so much easier to start with a clean kitchen.
I make my hot chocolate with water rather than milk, so we can save the milk for cereal and/or cooking.
Meals This Week
All meals are served with either salad or vegetables and may not always be listed here. 😊 
Grilled Chicken SaladsMeatballs in Gravy, Corn on the CobMac & Cheese with HamChicken LoafChicken Cornbread Casserole (Recipe of the Week)HamChili
Recipe of the Week
This week I was watching a video from In The Kitchen with Mama Mel and she demonstrated four new chicken casserole recipes. 
Here is the video link: Chicken Cornbread Casserole
The first recipe intrigued me, so I decided to get the ingredients and make this. I knew Bailey would like it because it’s saucy and she likes Jiffy cornbread, which is sweet. This was delicious and definitely a keeper. We had the leftovers for brunch the next day. 

Farmhouse Chicken Cornbread Casserole

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup, not diluted

1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, not diluted

¾ cup milk

4 cups cooked, diced chicken

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cornbread:

1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy brand)

1 (14.75 oz) can cream style sweet corn

⅓ cup sour cream

1 egg

2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, whisk together condensed soups and milk. 

Stir in cooked chicken and cheese.

Pour chicken mixture into a baking dish.

Mix Jiffy mix, corn, sour cream, egg, and butter. 

Spread evenly over the chicken mixture.

Bake, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the topping comes out clean. 

Cover loosely with foil if it starts to brown too much. 

Let stand for about 5-10 minutes, then serve. 

What I've been Reading This Week
If you're looking for something new to read don't forget about Project Gutenberg, which is a library of over 60,000 free eBooks. There is also the FreeReadFeed website as well. 
Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
How was your week? What did you do this week to spend less, save more and make do? We hope that you all had a blessed Thanksgiving and as always be safe and healthy.
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree

Third Frugal Friday of November 2022

Welcome to Friday! 
Quote of the Week

~ Knowing what to cook for dinner is half the battle ~ Belinda

My Frugal Week
Rain off the latest hurricane came through and with it all the leaves are gone off the trees now. Usually this makes our internet work better when the leaves are gone. That is one thing about living in the rural countryside, the internet can be sketchy. 
After the rain moved through, cold weather was right behind it. It was cold enough for snow on the mountain. Rather early for that already, but we haven’t turned on the heat yet. We want to enjoy the cold for a little bit. 
On Friday night Bailey and I decided to do some rearranging of furniture. We took the top off the dining room china cabinet and moved the bottom into the kitchen to be used as a counter top plus storage where there was none before. 
Bailey moved one of her shelves where the cabinet had been. It opened up a lot of space in that area. 
I was kind of sad because the cabinet had been Moms and she was so proud of it when they bought it in 1986. Nowadays people are not into china cabinets or even china for that matter. I just tell myself that life goes on and it does. 
I did find a couple of relics from our childhood, which my sister claimed after I sent her a picture saying, “look what I found!” So, they will be on their way to her home in Michigan. One day she will pass them on to her children hopefully. 
I picked up prescriptions from CVS a couple of days last week and ended up with $15 in extra care bucks. I gave it to Bailey who used it for body wash. She still ended up paying $1.50 for the body wash, but it still was a big savings. 
Both of us got our flu shots this week. We still need to get our third Covid booster shot though. 
Saturday was laundry and garbage day and I deep cleaned in the kitchen rearranging stuff to put inside the cabinet. We put the china cabinet top on Facebook Marketplace and it was gone the same day. 
My Dad had an old pickup truck bed in the yard that he had listed for sale and it sold this week for $200. He told us to go ahead and keep the money. 💕 
We buy the large bottles of disinfectant Lysol in the concentrated 144 ounce bottle. We then use about an ounce or two in a foam spray bottle and then fill the bottle with water. The way I’ve figured it each spray bottle of cleaner cost us around 30 cents to make, which is much cheaper than buying it in the single use individual bottles.  
Joy of the Week & Helping Others
There is a Hope Community Fridge located at the UMC in Chattanooga. They’ve been putting Thanksgiving baskets in the pantry/fridge the last few weeks to help people who are hungry to be able to have a free Thanksgiving dinner. 
The baskets consist of a ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, yams, corn, green beans, and cranberry sauce. Eight items in all and at a cost of less than $10.00 to the donors. There are also rolls in the community fridge if desired. 
The pantry is free and open to anyone who is hungry. There is even a garden next to the pantry where people grow vegetables to add to the fridge. It really warms my heart that people do things like this for others.
Photo of the Week

Hope Community Fridge Thanksgiving Dinner

Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
Kim over at Out my Window has a great blog post on how she cooks an affordable dinner for Thanksgiving. If you are looking to save money on yours be sure to check her blog post out. 
Here is a link to my Thanksgiving day recipes if you’re interested: 
Thanksgiving Recipe Series
Last week I cut two tarter sauce containers in half and used a rubber spatula to get all the tarter sauce out. It’s impossible to get all the tarter sauce out with the design of the bottle unless it’s cut in half. You’d be surprised how much is left inside. 
Meals This Week
LeftoversPolish Sausage, Mac & Cheese, Broccoli  Dirty Rice, Broccoli, CarrotsBeefy Spanish Rice, Corn on the Cob, Carrots, Green Beans with OnionsHomemade PizzaLeftover WizardySausage Muffins, Rice with Cheese & Broccoli, Corn, Radishes
Recipe of the Week
This is a recipe I think I found on Tik Tok. I bought the Spanish rice a while back, but didn’t have any ground beef until recently when I bought some for $1.99 per pound. Then I couldn’t find that recipe I was going to use, so I just guessed at it. 

This turned out really good, Bailey thought it was just OK. I thought maybe an addition of chili powder and/or tomatoes would go well with it too, so I may try those additions next time. 
On Wednesday I added chili powder and tomatoes and used it in a tortilla stack, which used up all the leftovers, so no food waste. Tortillas are a great way to go when using up leftovers to feed your family. A package of 80 can be had here for $3.50 or so, which makes each tortilla about five cents each. 
The entire recipe costs less than $5.00 to fix and can easily serve five to six people, which makes each serving less than $1.00. It’s definitely a money saver especially when you can find ground beef on sale. 
Of course, you can save even more money by making your own Spanish or Mexican rice from scratch. 
Beefy Spanish Rice
Ingredients:
1 package Rice-a-Roni or Knorr Spanish Rice mix1 pound ground beef1 onion, diced1 can cornCheddar Cheese ~ optional
Directions:
Prepare rice as directed on package. In a separate pan, brown ground beef and onions and drain grease. Add prepared rice to ground beef with corn and stir together. If desired, add cheese.Enjoy!
Saving on Entertainment
The Snow Globe film by Chick-fil-A
What I've been Reading This Week
22 Super Easy Family Dinner Recipes 
Walmart Offering Last Years Prices on Thanksgiving Dinner

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.
BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree

Second Frugal Friday of November 2022

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
On Monday we found a new in the box cat condo on Facebook Marketplace for $25.00. These easily sell for three to four times this much, so this was a great deal. 
Savings of the Week
This week’s award goes to Bailey who found brand new crates on the Walmart website for $1.00 each. She uses these for her business to store inventory. She has been slowly adding more to her business over the years via yard sales and thrift stores, but found a great price on the Walmart website and was able to stock up on them
Question of the Week
Have you gotten your flu shot yet? I received mine on Thursday and thanks to Insurance did not have to pay for it. 
Avoiding Spending
It’s harder to avoid spending during this time of year since I’ve been Christmas shopping this week. 
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
Used up all leftovers to avoid food waste. Stopped in at the bread outlet for bread nd hamburger buns. 
Food City had a good sale last week on canned vegetables and ground beef. If you bought $25 worth of store brand products they would sell you ten pounds of ground chuck for $1.99 a pound. 
They had petite diced tomatoes, corn, and green beans on sale for 59 cents per can with a limit of 12, so I bought twelve each of all three of those. 
I also bought the five for $19.99 meat special. Each item works out to $4.00 with this deal. I bought sausage in the 21 ounce package for that price while $4.00 is the going rate for one pound of sausage these days, this will give us five extra ounces for the same price. 
I picked up a marked down package of apples and one of potatoes while I was in Food City too. 
One way Frugal Queen is saving money in her kitchen is buying food for all three meals each day for the month before she buys anything else and then if there is any money left she might snacks with that money. We do two meals per day here, which include brunch and then dinner. 
Meals This Week
HamburgersTacosLeftovers plus cucumber tomato salad, grapes and broccoli Pork, Carrots, Potatoes, Corn on the CobPigs in a BlanketBaked Beans, Roasted Potatoes, BroccoliChicken, Roasted Potatoes, Corn
Recipe of the Week
This is a recipe for a small shell to fill with either sweet or savory contents. I’ve used it for tuna pate and for blueberry cheesecakes. It’s a good recipe to use with the holidays coming up and much cheaper than any you can buy in the store. 
Cream Cheese Shells
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened1 three ounce package cream cheese1 cup all purpose flour (do not use self rising)
Directions:
Combine butter and cream cheese, mixing well until smooth.Add flour and mix well.Chill for one hour. Shape dough into one inch balls.Place each in a well greased miniature muffin tin. Shape each one up the sides of the muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.Allow to cool before filling.
What I've been Reading This Week
65 Things You (Probably) Shouldn’t Pay For

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.
BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree

First Frugal Friday of November 2022

Welcome to Friday! 
Quote of the Week

The stores are well stocked. Armageddon will not be here just yet, despite rumors to the contrary. As a Canadian senior, I have no worries for my own well being. I am well provided for and then some. I think that those of us who pinched our pennies and paid off the mortgage and drove our well maintained vehicles into old age; who passed on the cruises and casino jaunts can now see the fruits of our labor. We in the western nations are rich in opportunity; just need to make responsible choices. ~ Rita

Price of Gas this Week
$2.89 at Sam’s Club in Chattanooga, but $3.15 closer to home. 
My Frugal Week
My Dad will be returning to Illinois for the winter in just a few days. He wanted to be sure Bailey and I will be OK by ourselves this year. This will be our first winter without Mom. He fixed the heater in my room and brought us another heater to boot just in case we needed it. We had a really nice visit reminiscing about all sorts of stuff. 💕 
Bailey and I were in Chattanooga this week and stopped in at McKay Used Books. This is MY first time going in there since the pandemic started. I found several cookbooks for my collection. We traded books we had here, so no money exchanged hands. 
I bought a pair of shorts last week that were on clearance for $5.99, which was down from $17.99. They arrived in the mail this week and they are so soft and comfortable. 
Frugal Tip of the Week
If your property and/or home is paid for, do not get another mortgage. Debt-free housing is an important survival strategy for these hard times especially for those living with a low income. 
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
The ten pound bag of chicken leg quarters was cooked off in the oven, meat pulled off the bones, shredded and then turned into BBQ chicken for sandwiches. It created the most golden stock in the bottom of the pan. 
Bailey couldn’t believe the BBQ chicken was so tasty,  and even said, “this was that gross bag of chicken?” Bahahaha! 😂 So, I’m counting this as a success and in the future will pick up chicken leg quarters when I find them on sale or markdown. 
Meals This Week
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Fresh Broccoli, Grapes, and StrawberriesChili Tacos, CornBBQ, Roasted Potatoes, CarrotsSalmon, Green Beans & Onions, Mashed PotatoesSweet & Sour Chicken, Rice, Broccoli Homemade PizzaSalmon, Brussel Sprouts, Potato Pancakes
Recipe of the Week
This is a recipe I first made back in 1990. It makes a light and airy biscuit and tastes so good with the added yeast almost like a roll. 
Angel Biscuits
Ingredients:
1 envelope dry yeast5 cups self rising flour3/4 cup shortening 1/4 cup warm water3 Tablespoons sugar2 cups buttermilk
Directions:
Dissolves yeast in warm water and set aside.Preheat over to 400 degrees.Mix flour and sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut shortening into flour using a pastry blender or fork. Add yeast and buttermilk to make a soft dough.Turn onto a floured surface and pat to a 1/2 inch thickness.Cut with biscuit cutter, place biscuits on an undressed baking sheet.Let rise for 45 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes. 
Yield: 3 dozen Angel Biscuits
Saving on Entertainment
Every few weeks or so, Facebook changes the algorithm and “new” old tv shows come up to watch.  Lately it’s been showing me Andy Griffith, which I’ve always enjoyed as good, clean entertainment. It’s great to pop in for a few minutes of rest to watch something to take my mind off other things and it’s free entertainment. 
What I've been Reading This Week
Cultivating a Local Food Movement
Better Times Almanac by Bob Waldroup ~ a great resource I’ve shared before. 
Eleven Thins We’re Doing to Combat Rising Prices

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.
BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree