Frugal Friday

Welcome to Friday! 
Quote of the Week

"Though I'm dutifully aware of all that is going on in the world (Matthew 24:42) I'm also dutifully choosing loveliness today (Philippians 4:8)" Jes @ Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

My Frugal Week
Last Friday we had to go to town to pick up my prescriptions. We also picked up a grocery order at Aldi for tortillas, lettuce, milk, almond milk, cheese,  eggs, bananas, buns, pickles, and Kirkwood Breaded Chicken Filets or as some people call it the "Aldi red bag chicken". Some people say it tastes just like Chic-fil-A, and I've been wanting to try it and find out if it does. 
Update ~ The red bag of chicken filets from Aldi are very similar to the Chick-fil-a chicken sandwiches. They were very tender and flavorful and we enjoyed them and will buy them again.  The bag costs $6.59 and there were six breasts in the bag, so $1.10 each, which makes them cheaper to make at home than to buy at Chick-fil-a. 
What a difference one year makes. Our local county clerks office did not accept debit cards before the pandemic hit. You couldn't pay your license plate renewal online either. Yesterday my renewal came in the mail and I was able to go online and pay it. That is one change from the pandemic that I like. :)
In the past I've mentioned that our stove tops two big (8 inch) burners were not working, which is why I have not been canning the last few years.  I've tried to fix them myself using items my Dad gave me from a friend who worked for Whirlpool in their oven manufacturing plant, but that didn't work. 

For some reason it occurred to me last week that perhaps the elements were bad. I initially assumed they were OK since my Dad's friend got them from Whirlpool. So, I decided to order one new element just to try it out. I didn't want to be stuck with two in case that wasn't the problem.
The new element arrived on Sunday from FedEx and I promptly tried it out. The first burner still did not work, so I tried the second burner and voila, it worked! I was so excited and a little mad at myself  for not realizing this years earlier. I mean I have been without these burners for over five years. And I have seriously thought about buying a new stove top for this reason. Ugh!
Earning Money
My income tax refund check came over the weekend and I paid towards medical debt with it, so it was put to good use. 
Avoiding Spending
We stayed home this week and did not spend any money on groceries or necessities. It seemed odd not to have any packages coming this week. 
I did not spend my income tax refund on anything that I wanted, but rather put it to good use. Do you remember when Frugal Queen was paying off her debt and she would write about getting paid and paying her bills and leaving only enough money for groceries? She inspired so many people with her actions and encouraged them to tackle their own debt.

“It meant living on £57 a week instead of £500. The budget had to cover food, bills and other necessities,” says Jane 46. “Treats such as wine and takeaways had to go.” Frugal Queen

If you have debt, consider it a flaming emergency and get it paid off as quickly as possible. Don't be like my parents and go into retirement mired in debt. In fact if you are in debt, I would encourage you to read this article at Mr. Money Mustache regularly to keep you motivated to pay it off as quickly as possible. 
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
I used some leftover rice from dinner the night before to make rice and cheese for breakfast one morning, so no food waste. 

Another night I made Mexican Rice for dinner and the next day I divided it up into five different containers, labeled those, and stuck them in the freezer. Now when we want a side dish of rice, all I have to do is pull one from the freezer. 

I save all of my parmesan cheese containers as they make good storage containers for spices and the lids will even fit on a mason jar.

We found a local farm that is selling pork products, so we bought five pounds of sausage to try from him. I'm excited to have someone local who I can trust. 

The first morning after I bought it, I made sausage gravy for breakfast. I served this with biscuits and scrambled eggs. 

I made a batch of cookies this week. This is the recipe Bailey found on TikTok and really likes to make. It makes about a dozen cookies, so not too many, which makes it an easy recipe. 
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar1 cup peanut butter1 egg1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Mix all ingredients well together. Drop spoonful onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. 

Finally, I made some cheddar muffins this week. This is a good recipe to use for when you have leftover mashed potatoes. I didn't have any, so I used one pouch of Instant mashed potatoes instead. 
Bailey doesn't care for the Instant mashed potatoes normally, and I have several pouches to use up. She really liked these though and so did I, so I'm tickled to find a way to use those up in a way that we both enjoy. 
Cheddar Muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups mashed potatoes1 egg1/3 cup vegetable oil1 cup shredded cheddar cheese1 & 2/3 cups flour2 Tablespoons diced chives1 Tablespoon dried parsley1 Tablespoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Combine beaten egg, cheese, vegetable oil and mashed potatoes.Combine remaining ingredients & stir in potato mixture just until moistened.Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.Bake at 400° for 20 - 25 minutes.
Meals This Week
Broccoli Cheese Soup and Hot Ham & Cheese SandwichesBean & Cheese Enchiladas and Cheese EnchiladasAldi Red Bag Chicken, Roasted Vegetables, SaladLeftoversPasta Salad, Cheddar Muffins, Corn FrittersSwiss Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed VegetablesItalian Sausage, Penne Pasta, Garlic BreadChili Tacos
Saving on Entertainment
This week for movie night we watched, The Lost Husband. Both Bailey and I thought the movie dragged a little bit in the middle, but then a surprise ending happened, which redeemed the movie for me. 
What I've been Reading This Week

We Paid off 45K of Debt in Two Years - Frugal Queen

70 Classic Homemade Soup Recipes

How was your week?   
Belinda~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree

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