Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Second Week of July 2026

Welcome to Frugal Workshop where every Monday I share the simple strategies used to save money in my kitchen 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

I cleaned out and organized the refrigerator on Wednesday making sure I was using both our fresh produce and leftovers in a timely manner. After cutting up most of the vegetables I took the rinds and seeds outside to the compost pile. 

On Friday we picked up grapes at Kroger, which were on sale for $1.99 a pound. I also picked up several varieties of melons including more yellow watermelon as it is good and sweet. I also bought more blackberries at Sam's Club and washed and cut up all the fruit on Saturday. 

You've probably read about the nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis, which has sickened over 1,000 people, and has been linked to raw, fresh produce. Health agencies advise purchasing whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-bagged mixes. I've also heard it may be extended to blackberries. So, I washed and made a solution of baking soda and vinegar and washed my berries more then I usually do this week. 

Savings of the Week

We found this box of Organic Chia Oatmeal in the Crash & Burn section of Kroger for 56 cents. I only bought one box and left the others for someone else. 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl, Corn on the Cob. 

I used a lot of vegetables in this dinner including half of a cabbage, several carrots, onions, and multicolored peppers. I also used Jimmy Dean turkey sausage, which tasted so good that I will definitely be buying that brand again. 

Tuesday ~ Leftovers from Monday

Wednesday & Thursday ~ Bruschetta Chicken, Green Beans with Onions, Red Peppers, Grape Tomatoes.

I made up a mixture of tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil and made a bruschetta, which I baked in the oven over some grilled chicken I made.  We enjoyed it and it was  something different from what we are used to eating. 

Friday ~  Grilled Salmon, and Broccoli Salad. 

Saturday ~ Baked Chicken Strip Sandwiches.   

Sunday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl, Carrots, Sliced Peppers, Cucumbers, and Grape Tomatoes. 

I’d saved the leftover broth from green beans I made earlier in the week and used that to sauté the onions for this dinner. This saves on both calories and money by not using any oil for sautéing.  

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

Did you build up or organize your pantry this week?  

We would love to hear all about it in the comment section. 

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

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

Image Credit

Second Frugal Friday of July 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
When I was giving away Dad’s soda pop bottles a few weeks ago I kept a few back because I knew they were worth something to someone. This week I sold one on Facebook Marketplace for $20, which is pretty good in my book for something that was just sitting around in an old shed collecting dust. 
I scanned all of my receipts into Fetch and NCP. I received an email from Walmart to renew my Walmart Plus membership at 50% off after cancelling it last month when they wanted me to renew it at full price ($98). I was hoping they would offer this to me and they did. Score!
I also received an email from Triple AAA to renew one year of membership for half price so I took advantage of that this week too. We’ve had this membership for many years now and have used them multiple times, so it’s definitely an expense worth keeping. 
We spent the 4th of July at the Cook Family 4th of July Fireworks Show & Farm. We had the best time socializing with friends, eating dinner together and then a very elaborate fireworks show. 
On Monday we had another clean out downstairs. We took another load of metal to the recycling center (1200 pounds!), and threw out about half a trailer full of garbage/stuff. 
In this photo you can see the pickup truck bed full of metal and the back half of the trailer full of metal. The first half of the trailer are items I tossed. 

I was of the mindset that if we’re going to have to move, I want to move as little as possible, so I threw out a great deal that I’d been hanging onto, some for sentimental reasons. 
On Tuesday I had a tutoring session, went to the farmers market for fresh produce, and met with a realtor about our home. More details to come on that later. 
I had a repairman come out on Monday and Wednesday to fix the drainage hose on our washing machine as the force of the water was making it leak. It’s all good to go now though. 
I've been watching money saving YouTube videos including Prepper Princess and Frugal Queen this week to help tweak my budget where I can. 
We woke up on Thursday to no power in the house, which was so quiet with none of the window air conditioners running. The electric company crew came by to check our line as they were trying to figure out where the issue was.  It was off for about four hours. 
I'm glad the power came back on for my tutoring session Thursday afternoon. Two weeks ago right in the middle of our session the power went off and I wouldn't care for a repeat of that. 

I emptied this plastic bag of toilet paper rolls, but kept the bag to reuse as a garbage bag soon. 
Yard Sale Saturday
No yard sales on July 4th due to the holiday. 
Freebies
I went by People Helping People on Tuesday and picked up some free green beans, which I broke/snapped and cooked and we ate on Wednesday and Thursday. They were so good and fresh. I also picked up more free zucchini and yellow squash. 
Saving on Electric
I've been keeping the air conditioner in my bedroom at 72 degrees when I do have it on along with a fan as needed. Raising the temperature just a couple of degrees in the summer time helps us to save money on our electric bill. 
Photo of the Week
Here are before and after photos of our cat Ginger who we had shaved last week. 

Its very obvious that he feels better as he is jumping up onto things where he wasn't before. It's hard to tell from the photo above, but he had a large matted area along his backbone, which is gone now and he seems happier for it. 

Saving Money on Entertainment
We've been rewatching the Toy Story movies in our quest to see Toy Story 5 hopefully this coming Tuesday at the theater on $5 Tuesday. 
My Reading Nook ~ What I've been Reading This Week
 I've been reading more than usual this summer and this week I’m rereading a book I read last year on boundaries. I also went to the library and claimed my second freebie for reading three more books, which was a magnetic note pad. 
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

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ First Week of July 2026

Welcome to Frugal Workshop where every Monday I share the simple strategies used to save money in my kitchen 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

On Monday I went back to the local peach orchard and bought more peaches. The big baskets were $23 or you could get the same size basket of seconds for $13, which is what I bought. These are so good and sweet they are just delicious! 

I also bought six ears of corn from a former student who was set up selling his family farms corn. He gave me a big hug and told me I looked great, which made my day. 

On Tuesday Bailey and I went to the farm stand and bought more cantaloupe and watermelon as we had already eaten what I bought last week. We also dropped off a bag of donations to People Helping People. 

We went to Sam’s Club on Friday and bought some blackberries, milk, mini bell peppers, Cole slaw mix, olive oil, cocoa powder, toilet paper and bought our lunch of a beef hotdog and drink for $1.50 each. 

Saturday afternoon I cut up the two small watermelons and the cantaloupe we had on hand and dumped the rinds into our compost pile in the woods. So far no wild animals have eaten anything out of the compost and it may be because I moved it to a new spot this year. 

On Sunday we went to Kroger in Dalton to do our monthly grocery stock up. They’ve had shortages for the last few months and that was still evident today, unfortunately. 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Sardinia Minestrone Soup

I made up my eight quart instant pot full with this soup and was able to put twelve individual bowls into the freezer for lunches and or dinners later. It’s such a good and healthy soup and a part of the Blue Zones diet where people in certain parts of the world live to be very healthy in their golden years. 

Tuesday ~ Baked Chicken Beast Filets, Baked Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables.

We also had several fresh fruits and vegetables like watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and red bell peppers. 

Wednesday ~ Tacos and Corn

I had a one pound package of ground beef in the freezer that I thawed for tacos with all the usual toppings and served corn as the side dish. 

Thursday ~ Grilled Fajita Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Brussel Sprouts. 

Fish on Friday ~ Nachos with Taco Meat and Queso Dip

Saturday ~ 4th of July Celebration with Pork BBQ, Meaty Baked Beans, Chips, Macaroni & Cheese, and Banana Pudding. 

Sunday ~ Beef Pot Roast with Carrots & Onions, Cabbage. 

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

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

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

Image Credit

First Frugal Friday of July 2026 on Saturday

 

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. 
Quote of the Week

“A nation of people who can grow their own food, build their own shelter, and stand on their own ground is a nation that's expensive and difficult to oppress. […] The more of your own sustenance you can pull out of your own ground, the less of your life belongs to someone else's permission.” ~ School of Traditional Skills

On July 4, 1776 the United States of America declared independence from Great Britain. Many people here will pause to celebrate this 250th anniversary of our nation. Bailey and I have plans to attend a huge celebration tonight with friends. Happy Birthday America! 
My Frugal Week
The beginning of the week here was quiet and we mostly stayed indoors out of the summer heat wave until Thursday when we traveled to Knoxville for inventory at several thrift stores for Bailey’s shops. 
On Friday we dropped our cat Ginger off at the veterinarian’s office to be groomed, which was money well spent. After dropping him off we ran various errands stopping at Sam’s Club for gas ($3.05 per gallon), the post office and several thrift stores to pass the time until Ginger could be picked up and then we all went home. 
My Reading Nook ~ What I've been Reading This Week
While thrifting this week while I picked up several books to add to my summer reading collection. 
I've been reading Food Junkies by Dr. Vera Tarman this week. I'm hoping to get it finished soon, so I can start another one for the summer reading program. Right now I'm about 75% through the book. Dr. Tarman also has several interviews on YouTube if you’re interested in those. 
How was your week? The last two days have been a whirlwind of activity here, which is why this blog post is later than usual. There is a lot going on with the house right now, which I won’t get into today. I hope you’re doing well and if you have plans to celebrate today that you’ll be safe and enjoy the freedoms we hold so dear. 

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 ~ Last Week of June 2026

Welcome to Frugal Workshop where every Monday I share the simple strategies used to save money in my kitchen 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

Last Monday I stopped at the local peach orchard and picked up some of the season’s first peaches. The kind where the juice runs down your arm when you eat one and they are so sweet. 

Bailey had an event in Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon and needed a designated driver, so I volunteered. After dropping her off, I headed to Whole Foods.

I packed most of my salad ingredients from home in my food thermos and just picked up a few items from the salad bar since I was out of lettuce. 

I don’t know if you’ve ever bought and made your own salad at Whole Foods, but they can get expensive since they are $9.99 per pound. 

So, once at the salad bar I put lettuce, dried cranberries, red bell peppers, croutons, chickpeas, and black beans into one of their food containers. At the table I added my own ingredients brought from home and make a very nice salad for my lunch. I used cottage cheese from home as my dressing. 

The salad bar items I picked came to just $3.10, and by topping it with the ingredients I brought from home, I ended up with a fresh, filling meal for very little money. A little planning can definitely save some money. 

And finally, this week’s haul from the Mennonite Farm Stand. Corn, melons, red onions, red peppers, and tomatoes. The corn came from the People Helping People store and was free while the other fresh vegetables came from the actual farm stand. I drove up there on Thursday and picked up and paid for those vegetables. 

What’s for Dinner

Monday & Tuesday ~ Steak Tacos, Corn

Wednesday ~ Grilled Chicken Tenders, Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower, Grilled Peaches. 

Thursday ~ Turkey Tacos

Friday ~ Bailey had book club, so we ate dinner separately. She had nachos using the turkey taco meat from Thursday and I made myself a salad for dinner. 

Saturday ~ Murder Smash burgers at Lo Main in Chattanooga. 

Cameron Parker is a food critic in Chattanooga and gave the murder burger at Lo Main a ten out of ten. Bailey and I have been wanting to try this since last October and Saturday created that opportunity for us. 

The burger has two smashed beef patties, American cheese, diced onions, lettuce, Garam Masala mayonnaise, and blackened seasoning on a brioche bun. It was very well seasoned and very good. 

Sunday ~ Roasted Turkey, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Grilled Peaches, and Corn on the Cob.  

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

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

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

Image Credit