Final Frugal Friday of May 2024

                                             

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
Except for Wednesday, I spent my days at home this week, which I love as I tend to get more done on those days compared to days when I have to leave the house for an appointment or errand. 
I'm having issues with our garbage man, sigh. He didn't come by on Saturday and finally called on Wednesday and said he would be here Thursday. Bailey is ready to fire him, but I'm not, but I did hire another garbage service to come each week for only $35 a month, which is cheaper than I pay our regular garbage man. 
The reason I won't let our regular garbage man go is because we have several irons in the fire with him. He is the one who cut down the tree recently and he still has clean up to do from that. He stays busy working a fulltime job and volunteering for our fire department, so I know he is a busy man. 
We go back a long way, as he was a student when I subbed and he knew both Mom and Dad and did a lot of work for both of them. He will carry groceries up from my car up the stairs if I ask him too and I can count on him for certain things. 
But, it is summer time and I can't have garbage on the back porch for days at a time with it being bear season, so I hired someone else to pick up the slack for now. 
Question of the Week
This week I've been reviewing my membership in various Facebook groups. I checked to make sure they are still active and relevant and I unjoined several that didn't fit that criteria. 
At first I started out at over 300 groups, as it had been a long time since I last sorted through them, so this week I whittled that down to 120. Some of them are similar groups, but I don't want to miss out on any information. And some of them I just can't leave like the one I paid to be in and the founder abandoned ship. (Grrr!)
How many Facebook groups do you belong to? Or, what are some of your favorite groups? Mine include Living Simply, The Tuesday Afternoon Club, and Everything Frugal. I only have three groups pinned as those are the most important to me at this time. 
Avoiding Spending
I definitely avoided spending this week since I stayed home. On the one day I did venture out of the house, I had three appointments, but still did not spend any money, so I'm calling that a win!
How was your week?

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

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

Menu Plan Monday ~ May 27, 2024

                                     

My Frugal Week

Recipe of the Week

Green Chili Casserole

Ingredients:

14 ounces green chile peppers, drained

1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided 

⅓ cup milk

4 eggs, lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease an 8x12 inch baking dish.

Line the bottom of the dish with green chiles.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheese. 

Repeat layers twice more. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Pour egg mixture over chiles and cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until filling is set. 

Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

What’s for Dinner

Meatless Monday ~ Homemade Chicken Nuggets, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Tuscan Kale Greens with Fig Balsamic Dressing, and Green Beans with Onions. 

Taco Tuesday ~ Italian Chopped Salads

Wednesday ~ Grilled Southwestern Chicken with Salads, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Cantaloupe. 

Thursday ~ Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowls

Friday ~ Bailey had book club, so I was on my own for dinner. I rolled up some deli style chicken lunch meat with cheddar cheese and cut them into pinwheels and speared them with a toothpick so I could add a green olive. I served that with celery sticks and a sliced apple. 🍎 

Saturday ~ Green Chili Casserole, which was inspired by a big can of green chilies we have on hand along with Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Cucumber Tomato Salad. 

Sunday ~ White Chicken Enchiladas, Corn, Salad. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

These are the items we have on hand that I can use to make meals this week. Be sure to come back next week to see what sides we serve with these main dishes.

1. BBQ Pork

2. Chili

3. Homemade Chicken Nuggets

4. Salmon Patties

5. Chicken Fried Rice

6. Beans, Greens & Cornbread

7. Egg Roll in a Bowl

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

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

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

Fourth Frugal Friday ~ May 2024

                                             

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
Quote of the Week

Love your people hard today, in whatever small ways you can show it. Treasure the ways they show their love to you. Don't take one second for granted.

My Frugal Week
Last Friday I stayed home and caught up on household chores, which needed doing as I'd been out of the house most of the week running errands. It's always good to get caught up on the house chores. 
I sold one item on eBay this week. 
I finished my physical therapy sessions for my shoulder this week and they gave me another t-shirt for finishing my program. My shoulder is definitely better than when I first started  and I see the orthopedic doctor about it next week. 
We met with the attorney about the property transfer on Thursday. He and his assistant were confused over the paperwork and told me that we needed to use a title search company for help.  So, I called a title search company who told me I needed a TITLE attorney. She was so right, I called one who met me at the courthouse and had it figured out in about 20 minutes! Woo Hoo!
While I was waiting between appointments I went inside Academy Sports to check their clearance items. The sport bra I bought two weeks ago was on clearance, and I thought about buying another one, but refrained. 
Afterwards I went to the Fresh Market. They were giving free samples of freshly squeezed orange juice and I bought some sweet potatoes as we were out. They were selling for $1.49 per pound and I got eight of them for $8.11. I love to slice them into rounds, brush them with olive oil and air fry them. 
Freebies 

Lemon Perfect water had a special this week for a buy one get one free bottle when you text a copy of your receipt to them. They refunded the money back to me in about twenty minutes, so a very quick deal. They have other flavors besides lemon too. 
Here is a link to the deal: Lemon Perfect
Photo of the Week

On Monday I shared this cheese stick recipe with you and said the next time I make it I would add black olives and turkey pepperoni. Here is what it looks like, this is half of the recipe as one of them makes more than enough for two people. 
Savings of the Week
The Savings of the Week goes to Bailey this week. 

She was in Ulta shopping for some  items her dermatologist recommended. This CeraVi is her go to lotion. She not only found a fabulous sale at buy one get one 40% off, but she found them on clearance for $25 per box of three. 
She checked her Ulta rewards account and found a $10 off $50 coupon, so she bought two of these. The AM & PM lotions sell for $13.28 individually at Walmart. The Resurfacing Retinol Serum sells for $18.68. So, she got $90.48 worth of products for $40. Amazing!

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.

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

Menu Plan Monday ~ May 20, 2024

                                     

My Frugal Week

Last Monday I took the meat off two rotisserie chickens, weighed them out into meal sized portions, and placed them in the freezer for future meals. I also made some fruit salad to go with dinner and used my new to me food chopper to cut up the apples and celery. 

I also made a cucumber and tomato salad using my food chopper this week. Linda asked me what brand of food chopper mine is and it's a Shanii brand if you're interested.  We've been eating the cucumber tomato salad every day as it's very refreshing. I need to make more today as we are almost out.

On Sunday I made enough jello cups for the week using cherry sugar free jello and fruit cocktail. 

It's been the usual here this week using up what we have and making meals with it. 

Recipe of the Week

Cheese Sticks

This is a simple recipe with no flour whatsoever. This would make a terrific base for pizza and you can add your favorite toppings too. The next time I try this one I will add turkey pepperoni and black olives to mine.

Ingredients:

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 egg

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients together.

Spread on parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Cut into pieces with pizza cutter and enjoy.

Beverages This Week

Lots of Water as usual

Iced Tea, sweet or not

Iced Green Tea

Watermelon Coolers

Ryse Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Protein ~ Bailey bought this off of Tik-Tok using a coupon deal and it really does taste like marshmallow.

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Rotisserie Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Fruit Salad. 

Tuesday ~ Grilled Chicken Salads

Wednesday ~ Orange Chicken, Cauliflower Rice, Stir Fry Vegetables, and Fresh Pineapple. 

Thursday ~ Took some chili out of the freezer and made Chili Tacos for dinner. 

Friday ~ Chicken, Cucumber & Tomato Salad, Stir Fried Vegetables, and Baked Sweet Potatoes. 

Saturday ~ Homemade Pizza

Sunday ~ Salmon Patties, Baked Sweet Potato Slices, Cucumber Tomato Salad, and Green Beans with Onions.

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

We will definitely serve a couple of meatless meals this week to save money on meat, so beans will be on the menu for sure. I'll also make the homemade chicken nuggets one night, and I have some pork so BBQ will probably be on the menu as well. 

Be sure to come back next week to see what sides we serve with these main dishes.

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

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

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

Third Frugal Friday May 2024

 

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 

My Frugal Week
On Monday I called the electric company and they said our power was off for sixteen hours. The fridge and freezer were not opened, and she said food remains good for up to 24 hours, so we are going to assume all the food is OK except the seafood, which I've already tossed. 
I received the best news from my retina specialist. I won't have to go back for eye injections for six weeks instead of the usual four weeks. Woo Hoo!
I saw a hummingbird in the grass this week hovering around some wild flowers. 
On multiple mornings I had to sweep off the back porch as the first of the cicadas and their shells appeared. They are very loud this year too. 
We went to Academy Sports because I was looking for a new sport bra, which I bought on sale, and some Columbia shoes. I've had my current shoes for several years, so it was time for new ones, which I found on clearance. These are very sturdy, which I need these days. 
I earned a rebate from Paypal for 88 cents and one for 24 cents, which isn't much, but I'll take it. 
We had someone come this past week and clean up the area where we've been putting trash from downstairs and where the tree was recently removed. It cost a pretty penny, but the limbs were just too heavy for me to move by myself and it looks so much better and all the trash, for the moment, is gone. Whew! 

I plan on putting down fresh mulch in the flower bed with Mom & Dad's Camelia bush and planning a rock garden like this. It will be an ongoing project as I collect the rocks to make this possible. 
Our thrift trip to Atlanta last week was so much fun for me and Bailey. Over the last few years I've been losing weight and need smaller clothes, so this gave me the opportunity to buy several pieces. I even bought some really nice pieces in my next smaller size because I will need them soon en0ugh.  
On our first day in Atlanta the Park Avenue Thrift stores offer seniors (55+) a 50% discount on Wednesday on clothing items. We saved a pretty penny using this discount with one savings being $85 at one store and the other being $75 off at a second store. There are four of these stores in Atlanta. Needless to say, Bailey is restocked on clothing for her shops. 
I've gotten quite a few small tasks done around the house this week. I fixed a wooden desk organizer that was coming apart with a couple of small nails in the side to secure it, I glued the clock in my bedroom because it fell off the wall and the frame came off, but I fixed it and you can't tell it's been repaired.
I vacuumed all my lamp shades and glued back one of the felt pads that had come off recently. I hung an organizing caddy behind my bedroom door to corral items. I also secured my other caddy behind the door, so it wouldn't hit the door when opened or closed.  I made multiple phone calls taking care of business, and have done some laundry and cleaning as well. 
I've had two physical therapy appointments for my shoulder this week, my annual mammogram, and a bone density scan. I'm staying home today and am looking forward to it. What are you plans for the weekend?

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.

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

Menu Plan Monday ~ May 13, 2024

 

My Frugal Week

Guess what I found while thrifting last week? 

A food chopper! The price was $7.00 (New ones are selling for $22.00) at a very expensive thrift store. It was one of the few things we bought there as the prices were outrageous! 

They had a pair of pants in my size with the clearance price of $1.00 from Walmart still attached and they were trying to sell them for $15.00.  Crazy prices, but I do have a food chopper again. I used it Saturday night to chop onions and then on Sunday I chopped pineapple and it works like a dream. 

Photo of the Week

Four new cloth napkins, which are 100% cotton, which I prefer. These are the bigger size and measure 20 inches by 20 inches, which I also prefer over the smaller cloth napkins.

What’s for Breakfast

We enjoyed a free breakfast buffet at the hotel on Thursday & Friday mornings. They had scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage gravy, a waffle station, fresh fruits, yogurt, cereal and milk, chocolate muffins, bagels, toast, and danishes along with coffee, tea, and several fruit juices.

Tuesday ~ Grilled Chicken Salad at home.

Wednesday ~ This was our first night in Atlanta and we ate at Taco Mac. Bailey had the  Chattahoochee Burger with Bacon, smoked Gouda, caramelized onions, fried pickles, smoky BBQ mayo, and an egg on top. 

I had the Peachtree burger with caramelized onions, American cheese, bread and butter pickles, lettuce, and '79 sauce, which reminded me of Big Mac sauce. We both had the fried pickles and it was so much food that I didn't finish my burger and we took the fried pickles back to the hotel. 

Thursday ~ This was the night of the concert, so we stayed in and ordered food from Taza Grill via Grub Hub to our hotel room. This was Mediterranean fare, and Bailey had the Chicken Alfredo Pasta with a side of Crab Macaroni Salad while I had the Chicken Kebab Dinner Plate. 

Friday ~ We were so tired from thrifting, but stopped at the Hibachi Buffet in Duluth, Georgia and had the best Sesame Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken ever! They also had this jello dish that was a creamy yellow, which I believe was orange juice. It was so good and refreshing. They had bowl fulls of fresh watermelon and BIG strawberries. It was all so delicious. 

Saturday ~ Back home and to our regular dinners. Lemon Pepper Salmon, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Butter Beans, and Corn. 

Sunday ~ Mother's Day - Bailey picked up my favorite pizza from our local Italian restaurant, Rafael's Italian Restaurant. She also picked up drinks from Sonic, fresh pineapple and two slices of cheesecake at Walmart. 

While she was there she found some rotisserie chickens on mark down for $3.20 and picked up two of those. I'll take the meat off of those today and freeze for later meals. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

Regarding the safety of our food, I did hear back from my neighbor who is a lineman for TVA and he said everything, but seafood should be fine, so I do have some fish in the freezer, which I will toss.  

Please come back next week to see what we have on our menu this week. 

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

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

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