My Frugal Week

Welcome to Friday! We've had a good frugal week and it was great to be on spring break and get several things done around the house. 
Added to our Frugal Pantry this week:
Last Friday my daughter stopped in at Kroger and bought four dozen eggs since they were on sale for 88¢. 
She also stopped in at Ingle's to see if they had any meat markdowns. She hit the jackpot there. 
She found Laura Lynn orange juice for 99¢. We bought six of those since they were such a good price. 

She also found ground beef marked down. The prices were all different, but the most inexpensive one worked out to $1.81 per pound. We ended up with close to twenty pounds all tucked away in our freezer now. 



On Saturday we stopped in at Earth Fair to pick up some honey since we were out. I pick up one quart of honey, organic lemons, Numi three root turmeric tea, Numi gunpowder green tea, and one lemon plum to try. 

On Thursday we stopped in at Ingle's & Kroger and ended up with more meat for the freezer and a couple of pizzas, which were marked down . 

We also picked up three loaves of bread for 38¢ each. 

We also stopped in at Aldi to pick up five bags of the onions that are on sale this week for 99¢ per three pound bag. 

Dinners This Week:
Saturday: Chicken & Dressing, Carrots,  Sunday: Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Biscuits Monday: Cheesy Potatoes, Broccoli Tuesday: Chicken Tenders, Baked Potatoes, Broccoli Wednesday: Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Peas Thursday: Loose Meat Sandwiches, Salad Friday:   Stayed Home/No Spend Days:
Monday & Wednesday - No Money Spent
What I Worked on This Week:

This cat cot sells for brand new on Amazon for $22.38, but we found one at a yard sale last summer and only paid $1.00 for it. 
The cats have loved it and actually wore a hole in the middle of the mesh, so they stopped using it.
I wanted them to have one that is useful, but I didn't want to buy a new one since we only paid $1.00 for this one. 
On Wednesday I had the time to patch the hole they had created. Using part of an old towel and some fishing line, I sewed a patch onto the cot from underneath. I sewed two different circles around the patch hoping it will last for a while.


I'm happy to report that the cot is now back in service with our cats. 
Other things I've worked on this week include:
- Processing Inventory - Cross Posting Inventory  - Laundry - Hung some up to dry on the free drying rack we picked up last summer. 
Unexpected Expenses This Week:
On Saturday the tire pressure monitoring system on my car indicated that on of my tires needed additional air pressure. Since we live in a rural area, air compressors are few and far between here, and the one I did find was out of order. 
Sunday morning I woke up early and went to Walmart's automotive center because they are the only automotive service open on Sunday here. 
To make a long story short I ended up buying a new tire. Thankfully, even though I am between paychecks I just happened to have the money without dipping into my savings account. 
Saved, Reused, & Repurposed:
I emptied the remains of two jars of cherry preserves, but washed and saved the jars to be used later. 
Freebies This Week:
This week I received a free six month supply of medicine for my blood sugar. My doctor filled out the forms for me to receive it for free. 

Although this freebie is now expired it was a very nice freebie. A regular size pouch of the Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice with garlic.  

Other Frugal Activities:

We don't use baggies very often for our sandwiches, but use reusable containers instead when we need a lunch packed for outside the home. Same with our reusable water bottles. 
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Winter Storm Warning

We are all geared up here as we prepare for another major winter storm here in Tennessee. We have filled every vessel we could find in the house with water including the bathtub and kitchen sink just in case we lose power. We are on a well here and if we lose power we also lose the ability to pump water into the house. We also have water storage containers on the back porch filled with water. 

Law enforcement and other emergency officials are asking people to stay off the roadways if at all possible. They are advising people to: 

• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged, keep it and the charger with you 
• Check your car's battery to make sure it is properly charged
• Fill your fuel tank before the winter storm arrives
• Check your tire pressure, make sure tires are properly inflated
• Check your car's spare tire and make sure it is in the trunk and in good condition
• Dress warm and keep additional blankets, food, and water in your vehicle. Consider adding an ice scraper, extra blanket, sand for traction and jumper cables.

If you do find yourself stranded here are some tips to try and prolong the life of your cell phone battery.

• Turn the phone off; only turn it on when you are expecting or making a call
• If in an area with no reception, turn off the phone to prevent it from constantly searching for service (even with automatic power save features, it can take up to 30 minutes and it is depleting your battery)
• Limit use of the vibrate function on your phone; use a ring tone as it uses less of the battery's power
• Don't use extra features such as the Internet, WIFI, GPS, camera phone, and hands-free device; additionally limit use of the back light or turn it off to prolong the battery

Before heading out you can check the road conditions by calling the following numbers.

• AL  888-588-2848  WWW.DOT.STATE.AL.US
• GA  888-635-8287  OR 511 IF IN GEORGIA
• NC 877-511-4662
• TN 877-244-0065 OR 511 IF IN TENNESSEE

For those of you staying home during this winter storm you should make sure you have the following items available should the power go out.

• Flashlights
• Radio
• Blankets
• If you lose power do not use alternate power and heating sources in the home or garage that may produce carbon monoxide. 

Keep an eye on your neighbors especially the elderly.

Please keep in mind that during weather events like the one we are expecting will delay response times to emergency calls. In order to reach some locations EMS will rely on other response agencies for assistance with response and manpower.

Again emergency officials ask that you not venture out unless absolutely necessary.  

Please be safe out there! 

Belinda
CFO ~ Chief Frugal Officer
© Belinda & Frugal Workshop, 2011-2014.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without”