Second Frugal Friday of March 2022

Welcome to Friday! 
Quote of the Week

“Remember,  saying things doesn’t make it so; words are often a posture.”

~ Heather Cox Richardson

My Frugal Week
Last Friday we went to the Sweet WeePeets consignment sale. Bailey was looking for inventory while I was shopping for myself and clothes for Mom. I found several things for her to wear and some good stuff for me as well. 

Some of the things I found were these three beautiful bowls with saucers.

Nineteen brand new wash clothes, which cost right at 60 cents each. 

Two brand new Chicago Metallic round cake pans for $3.00 each. 
Other items include a Wolfgang Puck universal mixer, new quad cane, oven mitts, a new Instant Pot glass lid - still in the box, Pyrex Bowl with thermal bag, four like new towels, and a pretty teal laundry basket. We were also able to get another very nice drying rack to hang clothes.
We went back on Tuesday for the beginning of the 50% off sale to see what was left. Bailey was able to find even more inventory at the reduced rate. The sale is marked down on Friday night and Saturday to 70% off, but they are calling for rain and possible snow, so I don’t know if we will go back. 
The Affordable Connectivity Program is a program for low income households to ensure they can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more. We applied for this in February and received our first bill from Verizon this week with the $30 discount. That combined with the $20 fee Verizon gives us for setting up automatic payments will now help us save $50 on our phone/Internet bill each month. 
We have enough cloth napkins that we only need to wash them every other week. This was the week for this task. I’ve not bought paper towels since April of 2018, so almost four years and I figure I have saved almost $400 in that time frame. 
Mom remains in the rehab facility for now and they’ve scheduled her surgery for April 26th, 2022. They have her on a list in case there is a cancellation before then. 
Taking care of business for an aging parent has me going through so many different emotions right now. I’ve written about it before, but both of my parents did not plan their financial lives very well and have no retirement savings. All of that has really come to light with Mom’s accident. It’s made me realize, even more than ever, to try and make it as easy as I can for Bailey when that time comes for her. 
On Monday I stripped my bed all of the bedclothes and washed them. I put some of them away for winter storage as we have started to run the air conditioner here at times. 
Joy of the Week
One bright joy this week came from some flowers Bailey bought. She knows my favorite flowers are hyacinths and she bought me an early Mother’s Day present, which includes them and some daffodils. The entire kitchen smells wonderful thanks to the hyacinths and every time I walk in there I can smell their lovely fragrance. 
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
Keeping track of what I have on hand helps me save money in the kitchen, and that means going through what I have in the pantry and freezer regularly. I also go through the refrigerator several times each week. Doing so helps me prevent food waste, which saves me money. 
Meals This Week
Friday: Chicken Fajitas, Flour Tortillas, Mexican Rice, Corn, Broccoli
Saturday: We picked up a pizza from the Walmart deli and had that for dinner along with a salad. 
Sunday: Grilled Chicken, Brown & Wild Rice Pilaf, Steamed Broccoli
Monday: Hamburgers with Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, and Pickles, Grilled Onions, and Seasoned Fries
Tuesday: Grilled Salmon, Baked Potato, Asparagus 
Wednesday: Chicken with Onions, Salad, Broccoli, 
Thursday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with Onions
Recipe of the Week
I made this for dinner on Friday when I served Chicken Fajitas for dinner. I didn’t measure the cheese or sour cream as my Dad had given me some of his Buy Fresh Meal kit ingredients, so I wanted to use them up. I used three of the triangle sour cream packets, which added up to three ounces.
 Also, I made my rice in the Instant Pot and just added the chilies, sour cream, and cheese at the end and did not bake in the oven. It turned out well and was a nice change of pace for dinner. 
Chili Rice Bake from Ultimate Cooking with 4 Ingredients 
Ingredients:
1 cup rice1 - 7 ounce can diced green Chili’s1 pint sour cream 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
Directions:
Cook rice according to directions. Add remaining ingredients and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place into a buttered casserole dish.Bake covered dish at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. 
Saving on Entertainment
We finished the third season of Schitt’s Creek. The final episode was such a sweet one and we both really like Patrick. 
I’ve been playing Wordle on the New York Times website. 
https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html
Wordle 262 5/6
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What I've been Reading This Week
The Ultimate Cooking with 4 Ingredients written by Jean Coates. 
Freebies
Bailey and I both received coupons in the mail for a free item from Bath and Body Works. We went in there on Sunday and were able to get two of the small body washes for free. 

How was your week? Did you add to your home this week to be more prepared for the future? It’s so important to be mindful and prudent and look after your family to the best of your ability.

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. We would love to hear about your week in the comment section.
Belinda~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree