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Friday, January 18, 2019

Frugal Friday


Welcome to Friday! 

This week I was able to sub two days. All lunches and dinners were made at home as well as beverages. 

Our dinners this week:

Saturday: Baked Spaghetti, Garlic Toast
Sunday: Baked Spaghetti, Garlic Toast, Broccoli
Monday: Homemade Chili
Tuesday & Wednesday: Chili Tacos
Thursday: Baked Chicken, Brown Rice, Vegetables
Friday: Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice

I made chili on Monday and normally we like to have corn chips and cheese with ours, but I was feeling sticker shop from our grocery shop on Monday, so I didn't purchase those things. 

I served the chili with a dollop of sour cream and crackers. The sleeve of crackers cost 25¢, so much cheaper than the corn chips. 

This week I earned a $5.00 gift card for Amazon from Microsoft Rewards. I'm going to try and save these up this year and spend in December this year. 



On Tuesday I subbed in a classroom where we watched the film Viva La Causa, which is the story of the 1965-1970 Delano Grape Strike.  The film tells the story of Cesar Chaves and is a movement for social justice. The film is free to educators at the Teaching Tolerance website when mailed to a school address. 

I made some Cinnamon & Spice Iced Tea this week loosely following this recipe. I brewed mine rather than let it steep in the refrigerator. The recipe was good, but a little strong for me. So next time I make it I will use less tea bags, which will save money.  

Yesterday my daughter was out thrift shopping when I got off from work. I wanted to go to Target since she wasn't home, but I fought the urge and came home and made dinner instead. 

This week we've kept the heat turned down. It's currently 58 degrees in the house, but we are dressed appropriately. 

The electric bill is only $157 this month and if we turned the heat on as much as we'd like to it would be over $300, so keeping it turned down helps us saves money. 

School was cancelled today due to sickness and Monday is the MLK Jr. Holiday, so we have a four day weekend. I hope all of you have a terrific weekend. 

Belinda
~ Living within our Means ~

14 comments:

  1. I find the best way for me to save money is to drive right past the store also!

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    1. That does save the most money doesn't it, Anne? LOL

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  2. It's the beginning of your 4-day weekend. Have a good one.

    Attempting to recall what my mother served with chili. Never cheese or chips or crackers, but I am sure there were sides. Too many years ago.

    Good peanut butter deal.

    WalMart and Sam's are squeezing wallets in ways in which we are unaware unless a shopper knows someone "who matters" in the business. Our Sam's pharmacy suddenly decreased one of its 2 pharmacists' hours in half. 10 years from retirement, he was told he would be working Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The pharmacy is now understaffed and over-worked. A madhouse for customers.

    In my Tennessee Metro, WalMart is everywhere, but its merchandise is now lower quality. Do not buy groceries there unless an emergency.

    Our nearest Target closes next month, but I haven't shopped at Target for years and will not be affected.

    If I thought in the past that DH and I must be wise, today I would increase need for financial wisdom 10 times.

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  3. Thank you, Anna. Could be your mother served cornbread? My Mom used to bake it in the oven with cornbread on top of it. I did not appreciate it until I was an adult. LOL

    OMG on the Walmart pharmacists. That is awful for them. I just don't know what is going to happen to our economy. Reading about this and the news about the government shutdown can be frightening.

    I don't shop for groceries at Target unless I find something spectacular in the clearance section, but even then I don't shop there often. Maybe once or twice a year.

    Yes, if only we had started earlier and had more financial wisdom. We will just keep doing our best and keeping on.

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  4. sounds like a good week. Your menu sounds really yummy.
    I am like Anna - drive on by is best!! I still haven't shopped this month.

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    1. That is so great, Cheryl. And we are already halfway thru the month. We will be here cheering you on!

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  5. Mom never served cornbread with chili. I do, though. There might have been a green salad.

    Time to stock up on food and general needs.

    I am not as concerned about government shutdown as I am about diseases that could plague USA if illegals continue to cross our borders. A nation without borders no longer is a nation.

    Years ago, I crossed Sears and Target off my list of stores. Surely as I do, others choose not to shop at stores where they did in the past.

    Financial wisdom does not mean that I will be rich, but I have no debt and more than enough to manage. Good enough for me.





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    1. Definitely good enough for me too, Anna. I don't want to be rich, but enough to pay the bills and sleep at night. We can do that too. :)

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  6. I'm a gluten free vegetarian, so my chili is obviously vegetarian (lots of beans!) I like it w/ a sprinkle of cheese & dollop of sour cream--I also eat it over a baked potato or GF Cornbread., or sometimes corn chips, if I can find them on sale. THANKS for sharing your frugal tips! Enjoy your 4 day weekend! :)

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    1. THank you, Barb. Vegetarian chili is awesome. I like to add lots of bean and corn to mine. Delicious. :)

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  7. I hope you have a great four day weekend.

    I love Target. We only have one and it's a madhouse. If I am near I need to get popcorn, lol. This is once in a blue moon treat. Then I walk around the store and look for clearance items. Hardly buy anything. I like to look.

    I agree with Anna the products at WalMart are lower quality and very expensive. Grocery shopping I have no choice. Luckily, I have a Neighborhood Market so I can avoid the SuperCenter. When DH & I have to go we practically have to drag ourselves through the store. We are like those little kids who drag their feet, lol. Neighborhood Market has lots of fresh vegetables and healthy options. My store does so I am lucky there.

    Chili is crackers for DH & I. I am scared about the shutdown too. DH & I will be the first non-government sector to feel it. I have already been preparing. Our State is one of the hardest hit and you can already see the effects. No one is out shopping or eating out. The stores are really dead. I hope the Chief's game will bring up spirits in our area because people seem really down.

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    1. Thank you, Safyne. OMG, I always get the popcorn at Target too because it's so good. LOL I always look at the clearance items as well.

      There is a neighborhood Walmart in Georgia here, but I've not been in it yet. It was only built in the last year or two. I would go there too to avoid the supercenter. That's great that yours offers such fresh produce and healthy options.

      I'm so sorry that you are being impacted by the government shutdown. I hope it ends quickly and everything is restored to normal order. It is frightening. :(

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  8. My mom always had saltines with her chile :)
    I like anything with mine lol
    Although I do usually cook up some elbow macaronis - we do like those with it.

    The shutdown is so scary for so many people. I feel so bad for them. I hope it ends soon - today would work for me.

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    1. I hope it ends soon too. Today would be perfect.

      Elbow Mac is great in Chili and helps to stretch it to feed even more for very little money.

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