Frugal Workshop
Tools for Frugal Living
Monday, March 3, 2025
Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #1 March 2025
Friday, February 28, 2025
Fourth & Final Frugal Friday of February 2025
Welcome to Frugal Friday!
Sometimes it takes a lot of failures to reach success.
Like many of you, I’m concerned with the economy right now as company layoffs, federal layoffs, tighter financial conditions, deportations, high inflation, high rent, high home prices, high mortgages, high grocery prices, etc.
If we do not already have them in order we need to get our financial houses in order to weather this storm!
Sometimes pulling back is necessary.
Here’s how to prepare:
1. Pay off high credit card debt
2. Build up your savings and emergency funds
3. Be frugal
4. Do well at your job as high performers have a better chance at weathering the storm
5. Help each other! Lend a hand when you can.
I'm here to help you stay informed with frugal ideas to help you save money.
Speaking of all of this, my brother and sister both want this home to be sold, the one Bailey and I live in, and the profit split three ways. My sister wants it sold yesterday as she is afraid that housing prices will plummet. But, if we sell during higher housing prices then that means Bailey & I will have to buy during higher housing prices. ::sigh::
I look at houses for sale regularly and see what huge down payments are required, but still see ourselves being here for a couple more years at least. I've told both siblings that the downstairs has to be cleaned out of the tools and machinery before the house can be sold.
That will be a HUGE job, one that Bailey and I cannot do by ourselves. Her and I have already cleaned out all the garbage and my siblings are going to have to help with what is left before the house can be sold.
In the interim, we are working on getting our income up, saving and adding to our house fund, so we will have an even bigger down payment, and decluttering our own stuff upstairs. It is definitely a work in progress.
On Saturday evening the shower diverter in our combo bathtub/shower, decided to malfunction. We called on YouTube to the rescue rather than call a plumber.
We went went to Home Depot to get a replacement part, but despite all our strength, could not get the valve to loosen and come off to do the repair.
So, we needed a shower valve socket wrench. My Dad probably has one around here somewhere, but I would have no idea as to where it was as he has thousands of tools all over the place.
We ran to Home Depot again for this wrench, and came home and tried again to fix it, but even with the wrench we could not make the valve budge, so I called a plumber. I told him I needed some man strength. LOL Even he struggled to get it loose, but he did and was able to fix it and only charged me $77.50.
On Wednesday I returned those items to Home Depot that we did not use.
Free magazines this week.
Monday, February 24, 2025
Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #4 ~ February 2025
My Frugal Week
Mexican Pinto Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 - 14 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
3 garlic cloves minced
2 small carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
4 cups pinto beans
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium/high heat.
Add onion and sautƩ for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the roasted tomatoes, garlic, carrots, potato, and spices.
Cook for 1-2 minutes and then pour in the broth.
Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer with a lid for about 10-15 minutes.
Add in the pinto beans and cook for 10 more minutes.
You can add more veggie broth or water if you want it to be thinner.
Photo of the Week
Friday, February 21, 2025
Third Frugal Friday of February 2025
Welcome to Frugal Friday!
The key to not being discouraged by circumstances is to think about possibilities not impossibilities. ~ Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Bailey received this gift of Harney & Sons vanilla tea for Christmas. She is not a fan of vanilla flavored items, so she gave it to me instead.