Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Frugal Five

Five recent frugal things:

1) Stayed in budget with my grocery spending for the first half of January. Hope to keep going with this-- I'm getting back into the habit of knowing my prices so I can figure up roughly how much everything is going to cost before going to the store!

2) Chose to stay home and watch a movie we had (a Christmas gift!)  vs. going out.

3) Made a freezer cooking plan based on what we already had in stock. Pinto beans, pork roast, carrot cake, pancakes from a gluten free mix, etc...

4) Accepted garden seeds saved by family members: pumpkins, zinnias, marigolds and another pretty yellow flower that we don't know the name for. Excited about this!

5) Cooked a roast and saved the cooking broth and bone for a yummy soup base later. 

How have you saved money recently?



4 comments:

Wendi said...

*I am sticking to cash only at the grocery so that I don't have a choice but to stick to the budget.

*I have been searching coupons, but I will say that there aren't as many as there use to be. I also find that many of them are for garbage.

*We are also staying home. It has actually been nice to play games and work on some much need organization. Some weeks the only time I leave home is to go to church.

*I have started a savings jar. You add a dollar for each week. Five dollars for week five of the year and fifty-two dollars for week fifty-two. I have plans to buy some furniture with this money.

I enjoy post about frugal living. Keep them coming!

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Mary Ann - these are fantastic and inspiring ideas. Thanks, Wendi, too.
One thing we have been enjoying is big family meals where everyone brings part of the meal - it is so much cheaper - and nicer! - than going to a restaurant and it means that no one has to spend too much money or too much time in the kitchen.
Thank you again. I would love to hear more examples.
Blessings,
Anne

Mary Ann said...

Wendi,

I love your plan for savings! What a fantastic idea!

Thanks for sharing!

Mary Ann said...

Anne,

Thanks for sharing your frugal tip-- We love doing that too. I find that by hosting a "potluck" type meal where every one brings a dish to share, then everyone can participate whereas some may not be able to afford the restaurant meal. It's my favorite way to host---I'll make the main dish and everyone can bring a side! Very cost effective!