It’s Frugal Friday: A recap of how we frugal-ed our way through the week so that we have more money to put towards our financial goals. Our mission: Live WELL, On LESS Money.
What We Ate this Week:
Monday: Burrito Bowls with leftover chicken from last week.
Tuesday: Easy Lasagna, steamed broccoli
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas with my homemade fajita seasoning.
Thursday: leftovers from Tuesday and Wednesday nights
Friday: Homemade Ham & Bean Soup, homemade sugar-free applesauce This soup takes some time from start to finish, but I work from home on Fridays, so I had the time. Trust me, it is worth the effort!
Saturday: We will be in NYC for a day trip.
For breakfast this week, I cooked up several packages of breakfast sausage that I found marked down breakfast sausage at the grocery store on Sunday. We just reheated each morning to eat along with eggs and toast.
How We Saved this Week:
1. Cheap turkeys. I took advantage of the .39/lb turkeys at Giant Food Stores. You could buy up to 2 turkeys when you spend $25 or more, (turkeys not included). Apparently, Wegman’s is offering a similar price. Even if you’re not hosting a big gathering, buy them. Roast one up now for your family and freeze leftovers for future meals. And at that price, it’s an easy way to make a big impact by donating to your local food banks.
2. We finally have heat at our house! As I mentioned in previous Frugal Fridays, our main heat source (gas fireplace) was out of commission for several weeks. Fortunately, the weather has been mild and we will no doubt enjoy the super low utility bills from the last several weeks. But lows next week are going to be in the 20’s at night, so our heater has been fixed just in time! Our home also has electric baseboard heaters, but they are inefficient and quite costly, so we don’t use them. Although, after waking up to a 58 degree house one morning, we broke down a few nights to turn these antiquated heaters on.
3. Home Brewed Ice Tea. My husband and I love iced tea, but I don’t love the high sugar content and the price of store bought iced tea. In the summer, I sun-brew tea, but we don’t have the luxury during the colder months. So I’ve been brewing tea on the stove top. It’s super easy, super cheap, and you can make a zillion and a half different flavors. I estimate I save about $10-12 for the same amount of tea. I’ll share my method and exact cost break down in a future post.
Financial Resources:
1. It’s happening, folks! Christmas is just 5 short week away. If you don’t have a Christmas spending list and BUDGET, download my FREE Christmas Budget Excel Spreadsheet NOW!
2. Shopping online this holiday season? Try Ebates. It’s awesome! I use Ebates on almost every purchase I buy online. They work with a bunch of big name retailers, like Lands’ End, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Amazon, and so many more, so I usually get money back from my favorite stores. If you think you’ll be shopping online this holiday season, it’s worth a look. Ebates is FREE and super easy to use. Use my referral link to find out more details.
How did you live frugally this week? Please share your tips in the comments.