Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #3 May 2025

My Frugal Week

This was a week of planning meals from what we have on hand and was more of a cook once, eat twice kind of week. 

Chicken Broth in the making

On Saturday we stopped in at Walmart for cottage cheese. They had their rotisserie chickens marked down to $2.02, so we bought five of them. I came home, deboned them, put the bones in the crockpot and all that good chicken meat in the freezer for future meals. I was able to get two gallon size bags of meat from the chickens and six pints of chicken broth for the freezer. 

Photo of the Week

Our first cantaloupe of the season, which was delicious and cost $4 from a roadside stand. He had watermelon for $12, but that was out of my price range.

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday & Tuesday ~ Chicken Soft Tacos, Corn or Flour Tortillas, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Red Onions, Tomatoes, Black Olives, Chipotle Sauce. 

Wednesday & Thursday ~ Smoked Sausage, Potatoes, Green Beans & Onion Baked Casserole. 

Friday & Saturday ~ Chicken, Cucumber Salad, Stir Fry Vegetables. I added onions and peppers to the chicken along with Asian seasonings to go with the stir fry theme. 

I thought about going to the store for tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese and making our favorite tacos, but rather than do that I made dinner out of what we had here. It was a big hit and I saved money by not going to the store. Use what you have at home and save yourself some money. 

Sunday ~ Bailey was out of the house with her book club friends and I had a family event to attend. They made taco meat on the Blackstone and homemade queso with all the fixings. It was delicious. 

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 of May 2025

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
Last Friday I went to physical therapy where she told me I no longer needed to use the walker! Woo Hoo! Bailey and I went to Walmart for groceries and rather than use a motorized cart, I walked and got in almost 3,000 steps just getting groceries. It was a huge milestone for me. 
Afterwards we went to Publix for my free birthday ice cream (Black Cherry Frozen Yogurt), Starbucks for my free birthday drink (Iced Green Tea), and to the ATM for some Saturday yard sale cash. 
Yard Sale Saturday 
Saturday was spent going to yard sales, which was so much fun as usual. I normally drive, but my car is still in the shop, so Bailey drove her car, which made it more fun for me not having to drive. 
Here are some of the things we bought:

We bought this cat bag for 75 cents and Archie was the first kitty to check it out. This was a big hit with all the kitties. It unzips on the other end to make a tunnel too. 
Other items include:
- 4 cup Pyrex glass measuring cup- Hoodie with kangaroo pocket for $1.50- paper towel holder for $2- large plastic storage bin for $3- 1 wide mouth Ball quart canning jar for 25 cents- 1 package Angel Soft tissue for 25 cents
At the last sale we went to, the lady was packing up things to donate. She told us we could get one of her reusable bags and fill it for $1.00, so we both did that. 
Sunday we spent the day at home having a spa day and drinking cups of hot tea. I made a cheese board and added pickles, crackers, and clementines. 
On Monday I had physical therapy and needed Bailey to drive me. She goes to town on Monday to work and wanted to save gas, so rather than bring me home and go back, I needed to find something to do that didn’t involve spending money. 
My insurance company pays for my membership at the YMCA, so she dropped me off for a few hours. My swimsuit from last summer was too big for me now, so I looked in her online shop and found a swimsuit that fit, so used that and worked out while she worked. 
On Tuesday I had injections in both eyes at the retina specialist, and I was finally able to pick up my car! Yay!
Wednesday & Friday were also physical therapy days and while I was in town, I went to Lowe’s and bought a PVC pipe to use in the driveway for water runoff until my neighbor can fix it when it finally stops raining.
Freebies

Free six pack of chicken nuggets from McDonalds for my birthday. We split these after yard sales on Saturday.
Saving Money YouTube Videos
10 Frugal Habits That Saved Me Thousands ~ Vera, who lives in the Netherlands, and posts videos over at Simple Happy Zen shares ten frugal habits that save her thousands of dollars every year. These practical, mindful strategies go beyond basic budgeting tips and include meal planning and reducing impulse spending to building a strong saving mindset and how to avoid lifestyle creep. 
10 Frugal Dutch Habits to Save Money & Live Simple ~ Another video by Vera from Simple Happy Zen where she speaks about how the Dutch save money.
Saving Money on Entertainment
We’ve been watching Modern Family together on Hulu for the last few weeks. My Hulu subscription only cost me $1.08 per month and is definitely worth that.

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 ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #2 May 2025

My Frugal Week

Did you know that a meal that cost you $10 to make at home will cost you $30 at a restaurant? Studies consistently show that cooking at home is significantly cheaper than eating out, with home cooked meals averaging $4 to $6 per person compared to $15 to $20 at a restaurant. 

Cooking at home will definitely save you money. The USDA Thrifty Food Plan shows two people, my and Bailey’s age, could spend $479.10 per month on the Thrifty Food Plan or up to $791.20 on the Liberal Food Plan. We definitely lean more towards the thrifty side.

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday & Tuesday  ~Homemade Pizza & Salad.  

Wednesday ~ Homemade Chicken Nuggets with BBQ Sauce or Honey Mustard for Dipping, Sunday Bean Salad. 

Thursday ~ 15 Bean Cajun Soup Beans with Ham, and Southern Spoon-bread Corn Casserole. 

Friday & Saturday ~ Grilled Chicken Salads. They were so good! Sometimes a salad just hits the spot and today was one of those days. 

Sunday ~ Cajun Soup Beans & Ham and Cornbread. 

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

Frugal Friday ~ Second Frugal Friday of May 2025

 

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 

Quote of the Week

"Be guided by the rule: If you don't need it, Don't buy it. 

                                                         ~ United States 1942 War Rations Booklet

Our Frugal Week

Bailey set up at her first craft festival on Saturday. She has worked diligently to make enough items to have to sell at the festival, and even though the rain threatened to keep people away she was hopeful. In the end the weather did keep people away and it was mostly vendors who were buying from each other. 
I stayed home and did the laundry, cleaned the house, vacuumed, took the trash out, cleaned out the litter boxes, cleaned the kitchen, prepped dinner, and all the other tasks that keep our home running smoothly.
Last summer our neighbor clear cut his land up above ours and the rainwater off the mountain has washed out our driveway in one section. I’ve spoken with him about this and he plans on fixing both of our driveways as his has washed out too. 
Until then, we had to find an alternative solution. So, on Sunday, we went to Rural King (RK) in Sweetwater, Tennessee. We went there for bags of tube sand to place into the huge ditch created by the water run off. 
The RK website stated they had it in stock, which is why we drove there. In the end, the store employees couldn’t find it, so we ended up buying a horse mat to place across the huge hole until our neighbor has time to fix it properly. 
I didn't realize that RK sold some grocery items like spices. I bought some cumin and Herbes de Provence to refill my supplies at home. 
I had a busy week with two doctor appointments and three days of physical therapy. I received good reports from both doctors and won’t need to see one of them for a year and the other one in four months.
Freebies
I have several birthday freebies I could cash in today, although many of them are for items I no longer eat or drink like milkshakes and dessert items. Hmmmm…decisions, decisions. 😂 
Avoiding Spending
Having been without a car for the majority of the week I certainly avoided spending this week. LOL I'll make up for it tomorrow when we do our grocery shopping. 
Saving Money YouTube Videos
10 Frugal Habits That Will Solve 99% of your Problems  ~ a video from Frozen Pennies 
Saving Money on Entertainment

It’s easy to spend money to watch movies, attend concerts, or gather with friends to dine out. But if you want to cut everyday expenses, you will want to substitute free or at least cheaper forms of entertainment that don’t cost money. 

For example, spend your evening watching a movie for free on YouTube instead of going to the cinema. Take a nature walk, visit your public library, or attend a community event to start cutting your expenses on entertainment.

Kirstie’s Homemade Home Series ~ Here is a British television show that you can watch for free on YouTube. Kirstie Allsopp makes it her mission to transform a run-down cottage into the perfect home. Along the way, she reveals the benefits of making do and mending in the Devon cottage she bought.

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 ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week # 1 ~ May 2025

 My Frugal Week

I sorted out our freezer on Monday and put all the breakfast foods in one freezer and all the dinner items in another freezer. That really helped me to see what I have on hand for dinners, and I had more meat on hand than I realized. 

I had four turkeys on hand and actually used two of them last week. The first one was boneless, so I thawed it and cubed it. Bailey used it all week in her eggs for breakfast and I made taco meat out of the rest of it. The other turkey breast went in the refrigerator to thaw, and I cooked it in the crockpot for Saturday night's dinner. 

I'm not always a fan of turkey, and when I was rooting around in the freezer I found a bowl of Chef AJ's Lentil Taco Filling, so I defrosted that for my dinners where we had tacos this week instead of using turkey for mine. 

I made six strawberry-banana gelatin cups and six orange and mandarin orange gelatin cups. The orange ones were a huge hit, so on Saturday I made six more of those. 

I boiled one dozen eggs to have on hand and made deviled eggs with some of them on Saturday for that evening's dinner. 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Grilled Chicken, Sunday Bean Salad, and Corn. 

Movie Night Tuesday ~ Homemade Pepperoni & Black Olive Pizza and Garden Salad with Cucumber Ranch Dressing. 

Wednesday & Thursday ~ Turkey Tacos, Corn or Flour Tortillas, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Jalapeños, Taco Sauce, and Corn. I chopped up some of the diced turkey breast and added onions, green chilies, and taco seasoning and used that to make tacos for dinner. 

Friday ~ Bailey was busy setting up for the craft fair and had tacos on the run, so I had a simple dinner of cottage cheese with a homemade jello fruit cup. 

Saturday & Sunday ~ Turkey Breast, Collard Greens, Sweet Potatoes, and Green Beans with Onions. We often have leftovers for the next day since there are only two of us here, which just happens to save us money too. 

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

Frugal Friday ~ First Frugal Friday of May 2025

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
We have had rain every day this week, which is a good thing. My physical therapy and knee are doing well, although my blood sugar has been low a few times this week.  
This week I received a refund on a can opener I bought in the last year as I made a complaint to the company for how hard it was to open a number ten can. I also earned an Amazon Associates payout of $10, scanned my receipts into Fetch, listed one item for sale on eBay, and hung some of my laundry up to dry. 
My car has been in the shop this week, so I took advantage of a deal from my insurance company that will pay for transportation for me to go back and forth to my physical therapy appointments at no cost to me. My first ride was on Wednesday and was so pleasant that I could easily get used to that. 
One way to have a successful frugal life is by working hard at home.  Staying home allows you to have the time to do that work. It’s possible to live well on less, even when we’re surrounded daily by consumerism and influencers pedaling us towards the latest must-haves. With a bit of mindfulness and some practical tips, you can be on your way to a more frugal, fulfilling life. A great deal of financial security comes from this type of hard work. 
Smart spending doesn’t mean cutting spending entirely. Rather, it’s about making intelligent and informed decisions about where your money goes. Switching to a cheaper grocery store, comparing prices, reducing dining out, or eliminating unnecessary subscriptions can save money in the long run. Before making a purchase, ask yourself whether it’s something you actually need or is it something you simply want. 
What I've been Reading This Week
Why is Walmart's Great Value Brand in Land O Lakes butter boxes?  People have speculated for years that Land O’ Lakes may be the supplier for Walmart’s private-labeled Great Value butter sticks. Rachael (@rachaelishere) shows that inside a box of Land O’ Lakes butter sticks purchased from Walmart, their wrappers have Great Value branding. Just more evidence that many store brands are actually name brands in disguise. 
Days Without Spending Money ~ Another thought provoking post from Mrs. White at The Legacy of Home blog. 

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