Fifth & Final Friday of June 2023

Welcome to Friday! 
My Frugal Week
We finally had some rain this past week and we definitely needed it. Then on Sunday afternoon we had a thunderstorm and lost power for about six hours. I was grateful when it finally came back on that night.
We have a new to us Internet service provider, so I'm hoping my Internet connection will be better and I can comment easier on blogs and Facebook.  

Bailey bought an embroidery machine this week. The lady who sold it to her included all the looms and software that she bought when she first purchased the machine. Bailey is wanting to add to her income sources, so will be on a learning curve for this new endeavor. 

We went to a church yard sale last Friday. We've been wanting a couple of those blender bottles and we found two of them at this sale. we also found a Tervis handle for the Tervis cups we already have here. 

On Saturday there was a swap meet at one of our local parks. It was like the Trade Day event we go to monthly where people bring items and pick up items they need or want for free. We brought several things with us and ended up with several clothing items in return. 
Afterwards we went to a thrift store sale where clothes were selling for $5 per bag (Walmart size bag). Bailey was able to pick up 28 pieces in four different bags, so $20 for the lot or 71¢ per item. It’s great to be stocking up on inventory during summer yard sale season. 
One of the clothing lots Bailey bought a week ago included several pieces in my size. As we went through the clothes I tried on the ones that I liked and found two new to me shirts that are exactly the style I like, the material I like (cotton/poly blend, no rayon/viscose for me as it’s too clingy), and are in my size. I love it when that happens.
Sometimes we find after we buy items that some things need repairs or mending. For example, this week there was a button missing from a pair of pants, with a hook and eye clasp also, needed to fasten them. It only took a few minutes to sew another button to make them sellable. 

I used up a box of Yogi herbal tea the other day and noticed the inside was so beautiful that I decided to cut it up for book marks. They could even be colored if somone wanted to do that. 
When I went to the doctor last week we discussed several of my medications and I let her know that I wanted to take less medicine. Home health has noticed that my blood pressure has been running low, so she cut down on those and was able to eliminate another one as well. That will definitely save some money.
I refilled my cleaning spray bottles with a splash of concentrated Lysol and filled the rest of the way with water. I also added water to my Dawn dishwashing detergent bottle when I filled it up this week. 
This Weeks to do List
Daily Kitchen TasksWash EggsLaundryKitchen LaundrySteaming & Processing
Noteworthy News
Amazon’s Prime Day will be July 11th and 12th this year. Normally I don’t pay attention to this sort of sale, but I’ve had a power bank on my wishlist for a while now, and they are advertising one for this sale. So, I’m going to take a look at it and make a decision at that time. 
Freebies
We were gifted several big cans (12 ounces) of Starkist tuna this week, so in order to use up this gift and save money, I decided to incorporate the tuna into our menus. Normally I use  tuna for tuna salad or Tuna Pate, but we are out of cream cheese, so the tuna pate will have to wait. I do have a tried and true recipe for tuna macaroni salad though, which I’ve included as the recipe of the week. 
I received a free copy of the latest Good Housekeeping magazine in the mail. 

Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
The cost of living is hitting people really hard these days. Grocery prices continue to rise all around the globe. We gave up buying steak and roasts several years ago due to the cost and might only buy those things now for a special occasion. We do still buy hamburger, but we have cut way back on that as well and only have it a few times per month. 
One way we save money in the kitchen is watching portion sizes too. For example, I had a package of chicken breasts that weighed 20 ounces, so I split it into two packages, which gave both of us a generous five ounce portion for dinner. 
One night I used a one pound package of extra lean ground beef bought on mark down for $5.40. I divided that up into four, four ounce portions, which was enough for two dinners for both of us, and made each serving only $1.35. 
Bailey went to our local grocery store to pick up some cream cheese since we had so much tuna on hand, but walked out of the store without it when it cost $5.00. We will simply do without some of these extras with their exorbitant prices. 
Meals This Week
Friday ~ Chicken Fajitas with Onions & Peppers, Corn, and Cantaloupe. Saturday ~ Chicken Stir Fry, Asian Rice, Green Beans & Onions.Sunday ~ Sunday Chicken, Baked Apples, Macaroni and Cheese. Monday ~ Tacos, Corn, Honeydew Melon. Tuesday ~ Tuna Salad with Peppers, Carrots, Honeydew Melon. Wednesday ~ Chicken Stir Fry with Rice, Broccoli, Dragonfruit. Thursday ~ Hamburger Steaks, 15 Bean Cajun Soup Beans, Steamed Kale. 
Recipe of the Week
I’ve been making this tuna macaroni salad since we lived in Pikeville in the early nineties. It’s a great way to use up the tuna we have stored in our pantry and it’s a great, refreshing summertime salad. 

Tuna Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 small can of tuna, drained and flaked  

1 cup sliced celery  

2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained  

1/4 cup chopped red pepper  

1/4 cup sliced green onions  

2 tablespoons pimientos, chopped

Salt & Pepper

Lettuce, if desired

Directions:

Mix mayonnaise and tuna together.

Add macaroni, celery, red pepper, onions, and pimiento.  

Season to taste with pepper and salt .  

Refrigerate and allow to chill. 

Serve on lettuce leaves. 

Saving on Entertainment
We picked up a game at a yard sale last weekend called, A Game of Cat and Mouth. This was a really fun game and works for kids, teens and adults. The game involves 24 balls and two magnetic kitty paws that catapult your balls to your opponents side. The game is made by the makers of the Exploding Kitten games, which are so much fun. This would make a great Christmas present for someone on our Christmas list. 
On Saturday I guessed the Wordle with only two tries! I also did the Spelling Bee on this day, which was also fun. 

What I've been Reading This Week
The Ten Plant Based Burger Recipes You Need to Try

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 

I hope and pray for each one reading here that we are good stewards of our time, talents and resources and that we have a very productive week. Fulfilling our roles as keepers of our homes is so very important to our wellbeing. 

BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Fourth Frugal Friday of June 2023

Welcome to Friday! 
Quote of the Week
My Frugal Week
Last Friday we went to ten different yard sales. Bailey picked up 120 pieces of inventory for her online shops and only paid $1.00 each. One of the things I picked up was a small tv set with a dvd player. It came to my attention recently that we need one when we have company, and I was able to pick this up for only $20. 
Saturday was a busy day in the kitchen. I woke up at 7:30 and went in there to work and didn’t sit down until after 3:00 o’clock. Of course, I was going in and out doing other things like garbage, laundry, and ironing/steaming. 

On Sunday we decided to have a spa/tea day. We bought our paraffin wax melter second hand a few years ago and we often find wax for it in the second hand markets as well. Using the waxer makes our hands so soft and smooth. Bailey also did her elbows and you can also do your feet. 
On Monday I had two doctors appointments and had to get an injection in my eye again. He said my eye was better this time than last time, but I figure that was because I returned in four weeks instead of six. 
This Weeks to do List
Daily Kitchen TasksWash EggsLaundryKitchen LaundrySteaming & 
Avoiding Spending
We were unable to avoid spending any money this week as I needed to fill up my car with gas, we went to multiple yard sales, and I bought a watermelon to enjoy this week. 
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
I’ve been in use it up mode lately and used up a box of green tea that I had on hand by making a half gallon of it and keeping it in the refrigerator. 
I soaked some dry garbanzo beans/chick peas for chicken salad one day. We had that for lunches several days his week. 
Meals This Week
Friday ~ Taco Chicken Rollups, Corn, Watermelon. Saturday ~ Pork Tenderloin, Baked Apples, Corn, Cantaloupe. Sunday ~ Chicken Salad made from Chick Peas, Monday ~ Grilled Chicken, Mexican Rice, Green Salads. Tuesday ~ Movie Night ~ Homemade Pizza and SaladWednesday and Thursday ~ Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Peas. 
Saving on Entertainment
Freevee is available to anyone who has a free Amazon account. It doesn’t have an extensive library, but has several noteworthy tv shows and movies. 

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.

BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Third Frugal Friday of June 2023

Welcome to Friday! 
My Frugal Week
Last Friday our local thrift store had their monthly buggy sale where you can fill a buggy for $20. Bailey went and was able to pick up seventeen articles of clothing and a few pieces of small Tupperware for the kitchen. 
We took down the bathroom curtains this week and washed them. When they were dried there was a small tear in one of the panels, which was quickly taken care of on the sewing machine. 
I ordered some Bilberry Extract, Lutein, and  Zeaxanthin from Puritan’s Pride this week.  One of the books I’m currently reading, Live Better, Longer mentions bilberry for improving night vision and good eye health. Puritan’s pride has a great article about eye health and foods to eat to improve your eye health, and they offer discounts on vitamins and free shipping with certain orders. 
This Weeks to do List
Daily Kitchen TasksWash EggsLaundryKitchen LaundrySteaming & Process
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
One dish we’ve been making lately is cottage cheese bowls. One of the ladies I follow on TikTok (Tanya ~ takingmylifebackat42) makes these meals, so I tried the Taco cottage cheese bowl and it was good, and on Monday I made the  lasagne bowl. Both were good, but I preferred the taco bowl more.  
Meals This Week
All meals are served with either salad or vegetables and may not always be listed here. 
* If you see a dinner in bold print that means we had it more than once this week.
Tacos with all the fixings. 😋 
Homemade Chicken Nuggets, Potatoes, Corn on the Cob. I made the chicken nuggets using one can of chicken, one egg, and 1/4 cup of cheese and then air fried them. 
Homemade Chili using pinto beans I made a few days ago. 
Lasagne Cottage Cheese Bowls, Stir Fried Vegetables. I used my lasagne recipe for this dish. I just made the meat sauce and then added cottage cheese to each dish. 
Grilled Chicken Teriyaki SaladsChicken Fajitas, Corn on the Cob. Chicken Souvlaki, Pita Bread, Greek Salad. 
What I've been Reading This Week
Live Better, Longer by Richard A. Passwater, Ph. D. 

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.

BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree

~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Second Frugal Friday of June 2023

 

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
Last Thursday I went by one of our little free pantries to drop off some food items. After running errands I realized that I left one thing behind, so I went back to the pantry and some of the items I donated earlier were no longer there. I love knowing those items will help others feed their families. 💕 
One way we save money here is by recycling jars. The other day we used up a jar of Ocharly’s honey mustard, so I peeled the label off and washed it. This particular label left a bit of residue behind, so I used Goo Gone to clean it up even more. 
I have both Goo Gone wipes and the bottle of the solution. I like to lay a wipe over the sticky area and let it sit on the counter for a while and then when I come back it usually wipes right away. 
I used to use a paper towel for this, but one day I found the wipes on markdown and now I use those. I also save solution on the, from the wipes in the container they came in and they are usually good for several jobs. If they dry out between jobs all I need to do is squirt some from the bottle to get them a little wetter. 
We went grocery shopping and to McKay Used Books on Sunday. I picked up ten new to me books to read this summer and also picked up a blank notebook similar to the one I used for my banking transactions to use when it is full. We didn’t spend any money as we traded books instead. 
In groceries we stocked up for the month on chicken, beef, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, corn meal, corn, olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano, paprika, fifteen beans, sugar free jello, yogurt, pickles, canned fruit, toothpaste, and deodorant. 
My reading glasses broke this week beyond repair, but it’s not a problem as we pick them up whenever we see them second hand for $1.00 or less. So, I have a stash of them on hand for when they break as they tend to do after constant use and taking them off and on repeatedly. 
This Week’s To Do List
Daily Kitchen TasksLaundrySteam and ProcessBuy Groceries 
Freebies
Sunday was our local Trade Post event where people bring things (if they have them, no one is turned away) and pick up things for free. This month we brought several smaller things like shampoo packets, a new bottle of Miralax, a shirt, etc.
We picked up some corn, green beans, red onion, and potatoes. Bailey picked up a few clothing items too. I’ve already started a bag of items to donate for next month.
Meals This Week
Burrito Bowls using Lentil “Taco Meat”, onions, tomatoes, and taco sauce. Salmon Patties, Green Beans with Onions. Sweet & Sour Chicken, Vegetable Egg Rolls, Stir Fried Cabbage. Dirty Rice with Ham, Pinto Beans, Corn on the Cob, Cucumber Tomato Salad. Pinto Beans, Greens, Yogurt Parfaits. Chicken Pitas, Corn on the Cob, Cucumber Salad. Salmon, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans.
Saving on Entertainment
Boyhood is a coming of age story filmed over a twelve year period using the same cast members. It is the story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason. 
What I've been Reading This Week
The Complete Keto Diet Cookbook for Beginners #2019

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.

BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

First Frugal Friday of June 2023

Welcome to Friday! 
Quote of the Week

Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.  

~ Charles F. Glassman

My Frugal Week
It’s been lovely spring weather here this week. I’ve opened the windows and let the house air out in the cool of the mornings. I haven’t had to use the air conditioner in my bedroom, which helps to save on the electric bill. 
Last Friday was laundry day, so I stripped my bed and washed all my bed clothes and put on a new set of Pioneer Women sheets on the bed. She sure does make some beautiful merchandise these days. Afterwards I washed what laundry I had and then folded mine and Bailey’s laundry and put mine away while Bailey put hers away. 
Last time I went to town I managed to step in something that messed up my shoes and they needed to be cleaned thoroughly, so I put them in the washing machine and then later the dryer. They came out neat and squeaky clean. 
We sent a birthday card to a very dear friend in Florida who turned 85 on Sunday. She was the girlfriend of Bailey’s grandfather who passed away in 2014. She doesn’t need or want for anything in life, so a handwritten card is perfect for her birthday. She is the epitome of frugality and I’ll have to write a blog post about her sometime. 
Bailey shopped the local thrift store’s buggy sale where you can buy a cart full of items for $20. She loaded up on clothes for her online shops. In order to get the most bang for her buck she will pick up what she wants to buy and then add additional clothing items to fill the shopping cart completely. 
The additional clothing items are then sent to ThredUp where they will hopefully be sold and then a check sent to her share of the money.  She will also look for free clothing at yard sales to add to her ThredUp boxes.  It’s a good way to make some extra money without too much involvement on her part. 
This week I tackled the back porch. In the winter time we line the back porch with big cardboard boxes to keep the wind off the cats since they live outdoors. In the spring time those are taken down and put away until next winter. 
I moved all the cat “furniture”, swept it all off, and then swept the porch really good and set everything back into place. I also took some hot soapy bleach water and scrubbed several sections that needed cleaning. 
On Tuesday I saw where the Habitat for Humanity store was having a fill a bag for $5 sale, so Bailey went and found several items we needed. She also stumbled across a yard sale. She picked me up a hair dryer, new boxes of wipes and gloves, and a new quilt for my bed. All things that I had on my needs list. I love the second hand market as it saves us so much money. 
This Week’s To Do List
Anything crossed off has been completed. 
Daily Kitchen TasksRefill Disinfectant Spray BottlesLaundryClean House Clean & Sanitize Zero Water FilterScrub Back PorchFinish June 2023 BudgetPeruse Grocery Store Sale Ads & Make Grocery List of Sale Items
Freebies
Earlier this month my Insurance company sent me a free $50 gift card to Walmart as an incentive to get my yearly physical done, which I had done in February. I filled up my gas tank with it and then spent the rest on groceries. 
Question of the Week
When I was growing up in the 1970s we called shoes that appeared to be athletic, tennis shoes. 
After doing a little reading on the subject now I’m wondering if this is another southern term I learned from my parents since they both were born in the south. There is definitely a lot to read on this subject in a Google search of the topic. 
I don’t know if young people still call them that, but I still use that name. How about you? We also called them gym shoes or sneakers. 
Avoiding Spending
We couldn’t avoid spending money this week this week as I needed to fill up my car with gas for a doctors appointment on Thursday. Then the cats ran out of cat food because something else has been eating their food throughout the day. 
It could be a number of different animals as we’ve seen the neighbor’s cat, two dogs, and a fox here this week, so I’ve only been putting a little bit out at a time, but we ran out on Tuesday, so I ordered a bag from Sam’s Club via Instacart. ($20 off your first order link)

Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
My kitchen is a working kitchen with a working pantry. It’s not meant to be a showplace, but rather the heart of our home where I make food to nourish my family. 
Since it’s near the end of the month and our meat supply is lower and dried bean supply is high, we’ve been eating plenty of beans this week. We’ve had soup beans (great northern) and October beans (aka cranberry beans, my favorite) this week, and Bailey put in a request for 15 Bean Cajun beans, so I’ll be making those soon. 
I used my last very ripe banana and some not very sweet blackberries to make us smoothies for breakfast one day. I added some spinach that I stuck in the freezer from a fresh bag from our produce drawer.  #useitup #nofoodwaste
We had a ham in the freezer that I took out one day, thawed, and then ground it up in my food processor and made pinwheels with it for dinner one night. I also used the ham to make a Fluffy Baked Omelet for dinner one night, and added some of it to eggs for breakfast one day. 
I made lentil tacos on Tuesday for Taco Tuesday. I had and used a bag of sprouted lentils that a friend gave to me recently. I also used up the last of the salsa we saved from our takeout order of Mexican food earlier in May. #useitup
I made my own taco seasoning mix this week. I have a recipe in the recipe section located here if you’re interested. I like making my own as that way I can control the ingredients that go into the mix. I don’t like anything spicy hot, so I leave out red pepper flakes and I can control how much salt is added. 

Making your own seasoning blends will save you money in your kitchen too. I use the Great Value spices (at least the ones they have) that cost $1.00 at Walmart as those save me the most money. I refill my bigger spice bottles with those. 
This weekend I will be making a grocery shopping trip to restock my pantry for the month. Fewer things are bought at the grocery store these days due to low supply and higher prices. We rely a lot on what food we already have here in our home, which I suspect many of you are doing as well. 
We continue to live a paper towel free life here and have for many years. Instead we use cloth napkins, dish clothes and towels, and then cleaning rags for cleaning. 
Meals This Week
Breakfasts
Cottage Cheese & OrangesScrambled Eggs & ToastFruit SmoothiesScrambled Eggs with Ham
Dinners
Soup Beans & Cornbread. 
Salmon Patties, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans with Onions.
Mexican Pinwheels, October Beans, Red Onions. 
Ricotta Bake, Green Beans with Onions, Salad. (We were not fans of this dish as the ricotta had been frozen, which changed the texture. So, I broke out the makings for tuna salad and we had that to finish off our dinner.)
Lentil Tacos with choice of  lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and cheese.
Taco Chicken Rollups (instead of White Chicken Enchiladas) ~ I made these out of canned chicken from my pantry, sour cream, taco sauce, taco seasoning mix, cheddar cheese, onion powder, minced onion, and one can of diced green chilies. Then I scooped some onto tortillas and air fried for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Served with spoon bread and green peas. 
Fluffy Baked Omelet, Green Peas, Spoon Bread
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Recipe of the Week
Plain flavored yogurt can be non-satiating because it has no flavor, so here is a way to change that and make it taste delicious. 
Back when I was growing up, jello salads often graced our holiday tables. Those were often made with cream cheese or sour cream and can be calorie laden. Using plain yogurt is healthier and lowers the calorie content of these recipes. 
The first time I tried this it was so creamy and reminded me of those jello salads. I’m going to add some canned mandarin oranges and or nuts next time and attempt to duplicate those holiday recipes from the past. 

Jello Flavored Yogurt

Ingredients:

1 box sugar free Jello, any flavor (I’ve used Great Value Black Cherry, and Peach which were both good)

1 cup water

1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Directions:

Heat water to boiling and add jello packet. 

Stir or whisk until jello is dissolved. 

Allow jello to cool before adding yogurt. (to retain probiotic properties of yogurt)

Add in one cup of yogurt and stir until combined.

Refrigerate and allow mixture to set up like jello. 

Saving Money YouTube Videos
Whippoorwill Holler is a favorite YouTube channel of mine. In this video she talks about her workable, sustainable pantry. 

Saving on Entertainment
I’ve added several blogs to my blog reading list (in the right sidebar) this week if you’re interested in checking out some new blogs. There are some really good writers out there for us to enjoy all for free. 💕 
Sometimes people stop writing their blogs for various reasons, but sometimes I  leave them on my reading list especially those that I consider to be fountains of knowledge. 
What I've been Reading This Week
The Virginia Housewife by Mary Randolph
30 Easy Ways to Save Money on Food that will Save you Hundreds
Consumers Cut Discretionary Spending to Afford Essential Spending ~ Bailey and I have suspected this for some time now as we’ve noticed a slow down in people buying clothes from her online shops. We feel as if people are having to spend more of their money on essentials and do not have the extra money for non-essentials like they have had in the past. 
It’s a Good Time to Shorten Food Supply Chains ~ one way we shorten our food supply chain is by keeping chickens. Gathering them from our chicken coop definitely shortens our supply chain. Gardening is another great way to shorten your food supply chain. What ways do you shorten your food supply chain?

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
I’m thankful for the inspiration and encouragement I gather here & hopeall of my readers have a wonderful week. 

BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27