My Frugal Week ~

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Even though fall is upon us and the leaves are falling, we are still having summer like temperatures here. This week broke several records with two days reaching 100 degrees this week. Last night at 7 o'clock it was still 90 degrees here. We've been running our air conditioner as if it were summertime.

This week I was able to work everyday, which will be wonderful on payday. As usual I packed my lunch and brought water every day. On Sunday I made vegetable soup, which I brought with me each day. It's cheaper and easier than buying lunch out each day. 
To save money, we've eaten all of meals from home this week and I've been making more plant based dishes both for financial and health reasons. With the heat this week we've been having a lot of salads for dinner, October beans, baked sweet potatoes, and plenty of raw vegetables like baby carrots, peppers, and cucumbers.  
I took out my produce drawers this week and washed them well and returned them to the fridge. One apple in there had a bad spot and leaked juice all over and was a sticky mess.  I'd been meaning to clean them out anyway, so this was perfect timing. Getting rid of the bad apple helped save the other apples from the same fate, which saves money. 
My car alerted me that one of my tires was low on air pressure this week. Lucky me, I was subbing in the auto shop at school the day that happened. (what timing!) One of my friends pulled it into the shop and filled the tire for me. 
Last weekend we earned extra money for pet sitting three dogs. 
This week I've watched several YouTube videos that taught me something I needed to know. I'm blessed and grateful that we have such a great resource right at our fingertips. 
This week I watched This is Us on Hulu. We only pay 99¢ each month for our subscription, which was a end of the year/holiday special last year. Hopefully they will offer the same deal this year.  
My daughter and I are planning a trip in November, so she can attend the wedding of a friend. We've been saving money since she first heard about it and we are looking forward to the time away.
On Friday I took my car to the tire shop to get it checked out for our trip. They rotated my tires and filled them up, and aligned the front end. It was also time for an oil change, so I had that done and had a new air filter put in, so the car is ready for our trip in November. 
How was your week?
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

In My Frugal Kitchen: Batch Cooking

My weeks tend to run more smoothly and I eat healthier when I spend some time over the weekend batch cooking. 
Batch cooking ensures that even when I'm tired there will still be delicious, healthy food made with loving care in my home. I won't have to spend money for a meal outside my home and I can ensure the food we are eating is healthy. 

This weekend I made a batch of Southwest Veggie Burgers, which is a recipe created by Whole Foods. I doubled the recipe and ended up with one dozen veggie burgers. 
If you're interested, here is a video on how to make the burgers:

I also baked a batch of sweet potatoes for the week, made a batch of brown rice, filled my Instant Pot with homemade soup for the week, and also prepped some salads. 
When I make soup I usually just use what vegetables I have in the house. If you would like a "recipe" to follow, here is Dr. Fuhrman's formula for soup chart. 

DrFuhrman.com

Here is a photo of the soup I made today. This week was more vegetable than last week's soup, which had more beans. 

Now I have plenty of food already cooked to take with me for lunches this week and for some dinners. This will help me as the week progresses by saving me time and money. So far I'm only working one day, but that can always change. 
I hope you have a great week!
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

The Humble Potato

Today I want to share with you what I sometimes do with leftover baked potatoes and that is make hash browns with them. Sometimes I even make extra baked potatoes just so we can make hash browns with them. 

You'll need a box grater like mine pictured below to make these or even a flat grater will work. 

All you need to do is take each potato and scrap it across your grater and it will make the best hash browns as they are already soft from being baked. 

Place them on a baking sheet and bake them in your oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until they are as crisp as you would like them. No oil is needed for these. 

One of those new air fryer appliances would make these taste good too, but is not necessary. Your oven will make them just as crispy. 

Here is the finished product. These are so simple and easy to make and delicious and frugal to boot. 

Potatoes are the perfect tightwad food. Just last week I was able to buy a five pound bag for $1.50 making them a very affordable dinner choice. 
Amy Dacyczyn wrote about feeding her family only baked potatoes for dinner and I can say that we do that regularly in our home. 
Baked Potato Bar Other ways we enjoy potatoes in our home include:
Home Fries
Scalloped Potatoes
Potatoes Au Gratin
Potato Pancakes
French Fries 
Mashed Potatoes
Potato Salad
Hash Brown Potatoes
Potato Soup
What are some ways you enjoy potatoes in your home?
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Frugal Friday 2-8-2019

This week went by so fast and here we are on Friday again. This week I subbed three days and packed lunches and drinks everyday. The other days I helped my daughter with her reselling business. 
Freebies This Week:

This week I received a coupon for a free bag of Purina One cat food.  Freebie Shark still has this one listed if you're interested. Click the link here. 
Did you know that Whole Foods and Amazon Prime can be linked together to help you save money? Here is a link to read about it. 
Last week they had Glen Muir canned tomatoes buy one get one free. This week's deals can be read at the link above. 
This week I filed my income taxes and I'm glad to have that out of the way. The tax laws were changed recently and I had been reading that some people were having to pay more this year. 
We qualified for earned income since my daughter was still in school last year, but that will be the last year for that.  
Meals were hit or miss this week as I was working a lot and came home especially tired one day. I did make Fiesta Rice one day and divided it up into individual containers for lunches. 

This is a great plant based recipe that is very versatile. It calls for brown rice, beans, pico de gallo, red onion or scallions, and then whatever vegetables you want to add. 
I added a bag of chopped kale, broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts, and also added corn and shredded carrots. My pico de gallo was homemade and already had lime juice for the dressing and didn't need any more. 
I love that you can add whatever vegetables you have on hand and nothing specific is needed. It's kind of like making a pasta salad, but this is better for you with the whole grain brown rice. 
That's all the news I have to report this week. I hope you've had a good week. It's been hot here, but is supposed to cool off tonight and I'm glad. I hope you have a great weekend!
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Green Smoothies

Green Smoothies are a great way to get more nutrients into your diet. These nutrients help to activate our immune system's repair mechanisms using the phytochemicals in the food, which helps our body repair the damage from toxins and aging. 
According to Dr. Fuhrman, blending the greens help to pulverize the cell walls of the plant food. This makes the phytochemicals more beneficial, which maximizes nutrient absorption. 

A basic smoothie recipe might include the following ingredients:
2 cups greens  1 cup frozen fruit 1 ripe banana 1 & 1/4 cups liquid 2 TBSP seeds (if using) Any other additions You can save money with green smoothies by using up fruit that is on the verge of spoiling. It's a great way to use up bananas. 
In my smoothie today I'm using greens that were bought on markdown, and includes kale, swiss chard, and spinach. 
Other things I include in my smoothies are Beet Boost, Matcha, and Wheat Grass powder because my research leads me to believe that these items will only increase the nutrients I put into my body. 
Somedays I use other fruit as it depends on what I have on hand. Seeds are also good to add to your smoothies. Chia, flax, and hemp seeds are good examples. 
The liquid I used today was pineapple juice and water. Some days I like to use cooled green tea, which also boosts the nutrients. 
Starting my day with a green smoothie helps to keep my energy levels high and fuels my body with the nutrients it needs. 
Do you include green smoothies as part of your diet? If so, I would love to hear about it in the comment section.  Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Frugal Activities for the week of February 12, 2018

This week I was able to work three days. Next week is Winter Break, so I have the first three days of the week free. 
We've had A LOT of rain here this week, which has made a mess of our driveway. I'm hoping for some sunshine next week to dry up all the mess.
With all the rain came the humidity, which made the temperature warm for this time of year. At school students asked me to turn on the air conditioner one day because it was really warm in their classroom.  
At home I opened the windows and turned the fan on to cool down the house, which helped.  We want to save money here and do not want to have to turn on the a/c in February. 
We've had homemade meals everyday this week. One night I made some brown rice, added some beans I cooked earlier in the week, and then added a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. 

Photo Credit

This was a idea I gleaned from Jeff Novick who is a registered dietician. It was delicious and low in sodium, plant based and cost under $3.00 to make. 
Friday evening we went to the thrift store and I picked up Dean Ornish's book, Eat More, Weigh Less for $1.00 to read the recipes and possibly add them to our plant based menus. 
I had plenty of time for reading this week (I had no students on one of the days I subbed) and managed to read two books for some free entertainment. 
My daughter needed three of her cloth pads repaired this week, so I brought out the sewing machine and quickly repaired those. Taking care of simple repairs will make the pads last longer. 
The wrestling team at the high school did so well this year that they went to the state championship in Nashville yesterday. We were able to watch the matches online at school. It was very exciting to watch. 
I did not spend any money for Valentine's Day as it was just a regular day here. 
What have you done to save money this week?
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Final Frugal Week of August 2017

Hello to all my frugal readers. This week I was able to work Monday & Thursday and then a surprise 1/2 day on Friday. Next week we are off on Monday for Labor Day, and then I'm scheduled to work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. 
On Tuesday I woke up and started working in the kitchen. I picked grapes off the vines from three packages of grapes and washed them and divided them up into twelve individual containers. We picked these up at Aldi where they were on sale for 79¢ per pound. These went into lunch bags this week until they were gone. 
I also cut up a watermelon, made some black bean burritos for dinner and baked some sweet potatoes for the week.

Our washer stopped working this week, so we went to Lowe's to replace it. We bought the lowest priced Roper model they had because of planned obsolescence. I figure I might as well go with a basic, no frills washer since they are designed now to not last as long.  
This is a high efficiency washer without an agitator. The employee told me that's how all washers are made nowadays. She said they only use one to two tablespoons of detergent, so looks like we will be saving money there as well. 
The reviews were very good on the model I chose and the price was $299 plus new hoses, taxes and delivery fee, which made the price come to $420.97 and that is with a 5% discount for using my Lowe's card.  I will pay that off as soon as I receive the bill. The savings amounted to $17.14.
We could have bought a Maytag or Whirlpool machine online for $279, but I didn't want to buy one online. I'm glad I didn't too because when we arrived at the cash register the employee had just gotten off the phone with someone who was having trouble with her online order, so she told me to never to buy a washer online. LOL
On Wednesday I found a penny on the ground while I was dropping off garbage. It reminded me of something that happened when I was subbing one day last week. 
One of the students found a quarter behind the door and picked it up to keep. He told me there was also a dime back there, but he didn't bother to pick it up. I told him he should get it too and he said it wasn't worth it. I found that odd. 
It was cool on Saturday morning, so much so that we didn't need to turn on the a/c and I even put on a sweater to keep warm. Very odd for this time of year here. 
We have family visiting us today, so we will be busy visiting with them all week. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Second Frugal Week of July 2017

Last week we found a full length mirror at a yard sale for $1.00. It had been on our wish list for some time, but I hardly ever see full length mirrors for sale at yard sales. The one we've been looking at @ Lowe's is $14.98, so we saved $13.98 on the mirror. 
We went to Jo-Ann's Fabrics over the weekend. The reason I went was to get a cleaning brush for my sewing machine and sewing machine oil. Mine did not come with these since I bought it at a yard sale and I've used mine a lot since I bought it, so it was time for a good cleaning and oiling. 
I had sticker shock while I was in Jo-Ann's. We used a 40% off coupon, but even with that the prices were very high, even double in some cases when compared to other stores. This makes me happy for my frugal ways as I find other sources for fabric that don't cost me as much as stores like this. 

I made one more cloth pad for my daughter this week. This fabric came from one of the scrub shirts we bought at a yard sale last weekend. 
I figured the cost of ordering 30 cloth pads from Etsy, and the total cost would have been $610.50. I did not pay anywhere near that amount for the materials I bought. 
I used good quality fabric obtained second hand and bought PUL and Zorb to make these pads, which ended up costing less than $3.00 each to make, which saved me over $500. And now that my daughter has a sufficient supply we are saving money on electricity via less laundry as well. 
On Tuesday we went to McKay's Used Books and traded books and games again. We received right at $50 in trade credit and picked up several new to us books & movies in return. One of the movies I picked up was Simon Birch, which I had seen years ago, but enjoyed watching again this week. 
We also went to the Samaritan Center on Tuesday. I picked up a couple of fabric bundles inexpensively (88¢ and $1.36) and also some pretty cloth napkins for 25¢ each.
We went to the Mennonite Farmer's Market on Tuesday. We picked up tomatoes, red onions, lettuce, red cabbage, cantaloupes, and potatoes. For dinner that night we had soup beans, cabbage, and tomatoes & onions. Delicious!

I'm not sure if you can see that, but I ordered Redbook, Woman's Day, and Woman's Health magazines for free from Verizon Rewards this week. I also ordered Rachael Ray's magazine free from Recycle Bank this week. 

On Wednesday I drove Mom to a doctor's appointment. We stopped at the Peach orchard and bought peaches. These are so delicious that the juice will run down your arm when you eat them.  :)
I sold an item on Ebay this week that netted me $36.55 after all Ebay and Paypal fees. 
What frugal things have you been up to this week?
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Mid-Week Check In

School was called off for Wednesday due to the threat of severe weather. I was able to work Monday & Tuesday and will also work Thursday & Friday. 
Dinner on Tuesday was homemade veggie burgers using this recipe.  I served them with diced onions, red peppers & tomatoes, corn, beets, and steamed broccoli. 

I found some marked down pork sausage at Food City this week for $1.10. 

Found some ground chuck marked down to $2.40. It was in the shape of four patties, but I crumbled them up and made some cheesy hamburger potatoes using this recipe. 

I found this package of bananas marked down to $1.01.

We had banana pancakes on the menu after that and I made extras for breakfasts this week. 

Found these apples marked at 3 for $1.00, so I picked up nine. 

Found these delicious heirloom oranges for $2.99 and there were nine in the package, so about 35¢ each.  

Bailey & I went shopping over the weekend at Forever 21 where they had 65% off their clearance section and found her this dress for under $3.00. 

And finally, here is a photo of our camellia bush. The winter was very mild here, so it is already loaded with blooms. 

I wanted to congratulate Carol over at CT on a Budget for buying a house this week. She has accomplished so many things over the years and her detailed blog posts about how she saves money and meets her goals is an inspiration to many people. I wish her many happy years in her new home. 
I hope you all are having a great week!
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~