First Frugal Friday of March 2026 ~ Miserly March

Welcome to Frugal Friday

Each Friday here at Frugal Workshop, I love sharing the frugal wins, quiet savings, and simple strategies that helped us stretch our budget over the past seven days. It’s a gentle look back at the small things that make a big difference. 
My Frugal Week
I’ve borrowed a term from Carol on the Living Simply Facebook group and will consider this month to be Miserly March. My reason for that is we paid the property taxes here this week without dipping into our savings accounts. I’m calling that a victory, but the rest of the month I will need to be extra frugal. 
It was 68 degrees here on Sunday, so we took the plastic off the windows and opened them to get some fresh air into the house. The cats were thrilled and sat in one window all afternoon. 
The motor on our vacuum cleaner burned up this week and had to be replaced. We bought the same model we had before from Walmart for $72.42 (up $12.43 in price from when we first purchased this model back in 2021) and it was delivered the next morning. 
I managed to do a small load of laundry on Monday and washed my homemade bandages. They sure have come in handy after my surgery and saved me money in the process. 
On Tuesday I had two doctor appointments, first to my retina specialist for eye injections and second to my surgeon for another follow-up. He took both drains out, which has really helped me to feel normal again. He will see me for another follow-up on Friday. 
On Wednesday we had to drop off Bailey’s car as her check engine light came on the day before. I drove my car in order to pick her up, which is the first time I’ve driven my car since my surgery. Naturally it needed gas, so I filled it up at $2.79 a gallon.
We also did some thrift shopping, picked up an item from Facebook Marketplace, went to the courthouse and paid property taxes, my car registration, and Bailey’s yearly business taxes. Afterwards we stopped at Food City for cheese before heading home. 
Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen
On Saturday I decided to use one of two soup packets I have in my pantry. The one I chose was for minestrone soup. I diced up an onion, celery, and carrots to sauté before adding the soup mixture and water. The soup made eight cups in all, so plenty for dinner and several lunches this week. 
On Saturday we took one of the ten-pound bags of chicken breast, which I bought at Gordon’s to thaw and placed in the crockpot to cook for Sunday dinner. I seasoned them with onion powder, salt, garlic, seasoned pepper, and my taco seasoning mix. I portioned out enough for dinner and made four other portions to freeze for future meals. 
Piggyback Cooking/BIG Timesaver
Piggyback cooking also known as the "three day Sunday roast" involves preparing large batches of food such as the taco flavored chicken I made over the weekend, and then transforming them into different meals throughout the week.
For example, here is a write up I did on three meals I can make when I've made a stockpot full of chili.
This trick involves cooking a protein from which other meals can be created.  Cook  and allow the protein to be the main part of at least three meals. Try to come up with ways to serve the protein so it does not feel like leftovers. 
Depending on how much I make, I use one portion for dinner, save one or two portions for the next two days and then freeze the rest for future meals. 
Cooking once and eating three times reduces effort and cost, allowing the kitchen to run smoother. By respecting what's earned and avoiding waste, we can outwit the system and build prosperity.

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Chicken Tacos

Tuesday & Wednesday ~ Chicken  Nachos

Thursday & Friday ~ Ground Chicken Meatballs, Sweet Potatoes, Baked Apples.

Saturday ~ Minestrone Soup

Sunday ~ Chicken Tacos

Freebies
Our friend gave us two sweet potatoes this week. 
Savings of the Week
Food City has their 32-ounce bags of shredded cheese on sale this week for $5.99 with a limit of two. I made sure to stop in and pick up two of them. Kroger also has their store brand cheese on sale this week too in the 32 ounce block or shredded for $5.99, so this is a good week to stock up on cheese. 
Saving Money on Entertainment
This week I watched the film, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? This was a movie recommended by Nedra Glover Tawwab who wrote the book, Set Boundaries, Find Peace. The film provides an excellent example of the need to set boundaries. In the film Gilbert, is a parentified teenager who takes care of his family but struggles to have a social life outside of his family due to unhealthy boundaries. I found the movie on both  Hulu and Pluto to watch online, so no cost there. 
What I've been Reading This Week

I mentioned last week that I was reading more due to recuperating from surgery. Normally I feel guilty reading for pleasure because I think about all the other things I could be doing instead. But I know that isn’t a healthy way to look at reading.

Reading is such a good activity and slows down memory decline in older age. It also helps with personal growth, stress management, and building vocabulary. Also, when we read a book instead of watching tv or scrolling on social media, our sleep improves.

Books I’ve finished reading this week:
 - All the Light We Cannot See, historical fiction written by Anthony Doerr. There is a four-part series on Netflix that Bailey and I plan on watching now that we’ve both read the book together. This was written well and I enjoyed how the author tied up all the loose ends towards the end of the book. 
- Set Boundaries Find Peace, written by Nedra Glover Tawwab, is a self-help book that focuses on establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries in various aspects of life. This is such an excellent book on how to set healthy boundaries with people in your life. 

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

Fourth Frugal Friday of February 2026

 

Welcome to Frugal Friday
Each Friday here at Frugal Workshop, I love sharing the frugal wins, quiet savings, and simple strategies that helped us stretch our budget over the past seven days. It’s a gentle look back at the small things that make a big difference. 
My Frugal Week
I completed a survey from Opinion Place last week and earned a $20 reward, which I turned into a $20 Kroger gift card. 
I won two free tickets to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga thanks to the EPB who ran a contest on their Facebook page. 
The weather turned cold here starting on Sunday, so we did have to turn some heat on and I also used the electric blanket on my bed. 
One thing I do when going to yard sales in the summer is to stock up on winter clothing and essentials. Last summer I found a really nice pair of knee length winter socks that I put into service this week. It may have been hot outside when I bought them, but they sure have kept me warm this week. 
Health Update (Feel free to skip)
I returned to my surgeon on Tuesday and everything looks as it should at this time, so I’ll see him again in one week. 
My incision has been leaking fluid, which is normal, and I’ve went through all the gauze and bandages I have in the house. So, I made some reusable ones out of my stash of cotton/flannel baby blankets and they are doing a great job, which is a real money saver. 
Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen
On Wednesday I was feeling well enough to put together a casserole for dinner. This is a recipe that I received in my email and from looking it up online it’s posted in multiple places. I used one of the rotisserie chickens we recently bought from Walmart for $1.99. 

White Chicken Chili Cottage Cheese Winter Bake

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, drained & rinsed

1 & 1/2 cups corn (frozen or canned, drained)

1 cup salsa verde (or green enchilada sauce)

1 cup cottage cheese (blend smooth for extra creamy)

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper

Optional:

1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles

1/2 cup diced onion

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). 

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together chicken, beans, corn, salsa verde, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, spices and optional add-ins.

Spread into a 9 x 13 baking dish. 

Top with remaining cheese. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Salisbury Steak, and Mixed Vegetables. 

Tuesday ~ Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowls

Wednesday & Thursday ~ White Chicken Chili Bake, and Steamed Carrots.

Friday ~ Grilled Chicken, Tortillas, and Bean Salad. 

Saturday ~ BBQ Pork Chops and Bean Salad. 

Sunday ~ Chicken, Carrots, and Bean Salad. 

Saving on Electric
I was reading an article on the Consumer Reports website on how to cut your bills by more than $800 per month. The article stated that the average household spends $2,000 a year on energy. So, I looked up the history of our electric bill in our all electric home and figured we spent $2,464.51 on electric in the last year. Interesting. 
What I've been Reading This Week
 I’ve done a lot of book reading this week as I continue to recuperate. Nothing new right now, but rather books I needed to finish reading. 
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

Third Frugal Friday February 2026

Welcome to Frugal Friday
My Frugal Week
My week was very quiet, spent at home recuperating from surgery two weeks ago. There isn’t very much to report this week. 
Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen
Normally I make a separate post for this on Mondays, but I’ve decided to take a break from that routine as I continue to recuperate from surgery. I’ll bring that series back on Mondays when I’m back to cooking in my kitchen again. 
This week we saved money by not grocery shopping and using what we have in our pantry here. I still have several odds and ends in my freezer to use up and this is a good time to do that. 
Bailey did find three rotisserie chickens on mark down at Walmart, which are now stored in our freezer. 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Chicken Tenders, Red Peppers, Steamed Broccoli & Carrots. 

Tuesday ~ Hot and Sour Soup

Wednesday ~ Grilled Chicken Taco Salads

Thursday ~ Grilled Turkey Smoked Sausage, Bean Salad, and Mixed Vegetables. 

Friday & Saturday ~ Chili Tacos

Sunday ~ Chicken Fajitas, Corn or Flour Tortillas, Red Bell Peppers & Onions.

Yard Sales
Can you believe they are already having yard sales here? There were several mentioned in the local Facebook groups. There was no way I was going and Bailey has her hands full, but I did look through the photos. LOL
Health Update (Feel free to Skip)
Last Friday I returned to my surgeon for a follow up visit and he removed my PICO vac. I still have both drains in and they will continue for the foreseeable future. The surgeon said my stomach area was very edemas during the surgery, which is where I had the lymphatic load. As a result, a lot of fluid drains from them regularly. I told him I was on board for the long haul and I see him again today. 
Freebies
People Helping People had their monthly bag sale last Friday. I stayed home, but Bailey went and was the fourteenth customer for the day, so she won a free bag, which is a $20 value.
Saving on Electric
We’ve definitely been saving on electricity this week as the temperature is warm enough to not need any heat on in our home.
What I've been Reading This Week
A good read from the Consumer Affairs website on how to save money every time you buy something online. 
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

Second Frugal Friday of February 2026

 

Welcome to Frugal Friday

Each Friday here at Frugal Workshop, I love sharing the frugal wins, quiet savings, and simple strategies that helped us stretch our budget over the past seven days. It’s a gentle look back at the small things that make a big difference. 
My Frugal Week
Early Monday morning I accidentally spilled a cup of ice water in my nightstand drawer, which certainly made it easy to clean and declutter. Since I am recuperating from surgery, this made me easily tired, so I spent the next few hours in bed reading. This blog post will be short again this week as I’m still recuperating. 
Other than the occasional free paper plates that grace our home, we’ve been a paper plate free home for many years. I’ve never minded doing dishes and always saved money by using real plates, cups, silverware, and also cloth napkins. 
Things changed this week as Bailey has taken over washing the dishes and I made our first purchase of these items in years. It’s a very small price to pay to me. I appreciate her help so much, so this is worth every penny to me.
I earned $2.03 from Google Rewards, and also entered for points into Fetch, NCP, and Microsoft Rewards.
Freebies

The FoodSaver company recently ended their FreshBucks Rewards program, and sent me an email for my remaining points, which equaled out to a $50 gift card. I selected the hand held vacuum sealer, which arrived this week. 

Saving Money on Entertainment
This week I’ve been watching 1,000 Pound Sisters on HBO Max. Chris is such a great brother to his sisters. 
What I've been Reading This Week

Sneaky Price Tricks Your Grocer Doesn’t Want You to Know ~ a good article from Len Penzo about his experience working in a grocery store for three years as a teenager. 

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 Two February 2026

Welcome to Frugal Workshop where every Monday I share the simple strategies used to save money over the past week, along with the meals that made it to our dinner table. You'll find practical tips on how we saved money on food hopefully to inspire your own meal planning using the foods you have in your own pantry.

My Frugal Week

This will be a short blog post as I’m recuperating from surgery on Thursday. I had scheduled my Frugal Friday post to post at a certain time on Friday, but it ended up not posting, so I ended up publishing it when we got home on Saturday. 

I’m doing very well, but will be need a few weeks to recover for the time being. I’ve tried to post on all of your blogs (those who have them) over the weekend. Please forgive me if I missed anyone as it was not intentional as I’m still having issues with seeing your blogs on my side bar. I’ll also be keeping up on my blog as usual, although today is just a simple one.

Bailey has really stepped up to the plate with cooking, washing dishes, etc., so I’m very blessed there. I’ve noticed that I’ll need to explain my use it up method to her today as I see peppers, corn on the cob, and sweet potatoes all need using up in the kitchen. I hope you all are doing well! And a special thank you to those who checked up on me when they noticed my Frugal Friday post was not published. 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Chicken & Dressing, Mixed Vegetables, Field Peas & Snaps. 

Tuesday ~ Chicken Strips, Steamed Broccoli. 

Wednesday ~ I was on a liquid diet at this time. 

Thursday ~ Roasted Turkey and Gravy, Whipped Sweet Potatoes, and Mixed Vegetables. 

Friday ~ Roast Beef with Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, and Peas & Carrots. 

Hospital Food! 

Saturday & Sunday ~ Chicken Teriyaki, Cauliflower Rice, Steamed Vegetables. 

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

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