Second Frugal Friday of September 2024

   

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
Quote of the Week

In a financially responsible home, no expense is sacred and are all subject to closer scrutiny. ~ Barbara Garrett

My Frugal Week

Last Thursday morning I came out of the house to feed the cats and looked down in the moat and there was a bear in the yard. He saw me about the same time I saw him and this is a picture of him retreating. Life is always an adventure in the woods.
Autumn is definitely in the air as temperatures here are down a bit. The morning temperature on Monday was hovering around 50 degrees and I was chilly when I woke up that morning. I know we will still have hot weather for another month or so, but Fall is definitely around the corner. 
We received a check for $209 from the consignment sale just for stuff we had hanging around here that we no longer needed. There is another sale coming up at the end of September that we are gathering for stuff to sell. Here are the details if you are local to here: Grown Zone
Other frugal things we did this week include:
- Line dried several clothing items on racks rather than run the dryer. - Cancelled one subscription to avoid a monthly charge.
Saving on Electricity 

This is a screen shot of our electric usage over the last week. On Friday, September 6th I was able to turn the air off and keep it off for the majority of the day. There is a big difference between that day and the day before on Thursday, which was a laundry day. Turning off the ac makes a big difference in our electric bill. 
Fads ~ Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Fads come and go, and in the end, thrift stores and yard sales will be flooded with items someone just had to have at one point.  We regularly see bread machines, blender ball cups, clothes, shoes, and kitchen storage containers on a regular basis.  
Bailey has just returned from the consignment sale and she made the comment that there were a lot of Stanley like cups for sale this time. They have been all the rage since before Christmas. And like other fads, they will die out soon. I didn't buy myself a Stanley cup, but just kept using the reliable reusable cup I've aways used. 
Freebies

On Friday I had an appointment and there was a representative from Humana there giving free fresh food to everyone. She gave me four potatoes, two apples, two oranges, and one onion. Her main objective was selling insurance, but she wasn't pushy at all, and I thought that was so thoughtful.  
I also had  friend give me three zucchini, seven ears of corn, and a watermelon out of her garden this week. 
I received a brown paper grocery bag filled with brown grocery bags, which I love to line my garbage can with. This is how my Mom lined her garbage can back in the day, and it always reminds me of her. 
Photo of the Week

Brand name companies do in fact make some store brand items. Check out this photo from a can of Aldi tomatoes where the label is falling off and you'll see the name Red Gold, which I consider a fancier name brand. Pretty neat in my book. 
And in the news this week, Consumer Reports has the article, Grocers are adding more private labels to store shelves, cutting food costs.  This article states that the following store brands and which name brand companies produce them. 

Costco’s Kirkland Tuna is made by none other than Bumblebee Tuna, Walmart’s Great Value Canned Vegetables are sourced from suppliers like Del Monte, Green Giant, and Libby’s. ALDI’s Millville Cinnamon Crunch Squares are made by General Mills, which also makes Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Publix Brand Deli Meats are made by various meat suppliers, including Boar’s Head and Hormel, Kroger Brand Cereals are manufactured by General Mills and Kellogg’s, and finally, Food Lion Brand Coffee is manufactured by Kraft Heinz and J.M. Smucker Company.

Savings of the Week

This week I used one of my five Circle K rewards to take 25 cents off a gallon of gas and ended up paying $2.33 per gallon. 
Saving Money YouTube Videos
Cathy from The Cheapskates Club recently interviewed Wendy Gower who runs the My Abundant Life blog. In this video she discusses how she feeds her family for $37.50 per week.  
What I've been Reading This Week
How This Melbourne Couple Keeps Their Grocery Bill to Just $37 a Week
The Bumpy Budget ~ Grandma Donna talks about the cost of living increases today and how some of her generation are having to go back to work in retirement. The comment section has good tips to read as well. 

How was your week?  

Did you manage your home, pantry or garden well this week?  

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