2021 Frugal Things in June

 1.  Buying a porterhouse steak as a treat at 50% off.

2.  While camping, we stayed mainly at military facilities.  It is hard to beat $30 A night.

3.  We give to NPR/PBS every year.  This year as our thank you gift I chose two gift certificates for free plants from a local nursery.  I picked two perennials with beautiful purple flowers to plant in our front flower bed.  We saved $26 and will have beautiful flowers year after year.  :)

4.  We used a coupon Mike got because he was a veteran, to get a free chicken dinner big enough for the two of us.  A free dinner!

5.  We used points at Starbucks to get a coffee with an extra shot that we shared.

2021 Sherman Salvage Shop, July 2nd

 Granola bars (10)          $1.00

Butterscotch chips   (2) @ $1.50 each

Coffee  (24)  @ $1.50 each

100 tea bags      $2.00

Salad dressing, 4 at 25 cents each

BBQ sauce   2 @ 50 cents each

Wild rice (4 oz)   50 cents

Boil in the bag basmati rice    99 cents

Two pastas,  farfaalle and orecchiette @ 75 cents each

Chili powder (#) $2.99

Crema  50 cents

Grits (2.5#)  50 cents

Confectionery sugar  50 cents

Brown sugar (2) @ 75 cents each

Steel cut oatmeal (1.5#)  75 cents

Crushed red pepper (2 oz)  99 cents

Hoison sauce  50 cents

Ten fruit cups  $1.00

Cheerios (8.9 oz)  $1.50

Two wheat Chex (14 oz) @$1.25 each

13 cans of vegetables at 49 cents each

Can of vegetables  89 cents

Three cans of pineapple @ 99 cents each

Three cans of vegetables @99 cents each

Four 32 ounce vegetable broth @ 25 cents each

Two boxes of beefy onion soup mix @$1.50 ( probably a bad buy)

Two 10 count taco shells @ 50 cents each

Two crackers @ 75 cents each

Two crackers @ 50 cents each

Crackers $1.00

2021 Buying and Eating: June 16-18, 27-30 (7days)

 Remaining Allocation:  $138.38

Cushion: $703.81

Amount Spent YTD (142 days):  $547.05

Previous Two Week Total:  $81.62

What We Ate: grilled pork, baked potato, butter beans; pasta with sauce, veg, garlic bread; Huevos rancheros; Aunt Joyce's chicken salad, garlic cheese bread; grilled chicken salad sandwich and chips; sandwiches and tomato bisque with fruit; blt, potato salad, green beans

What We Bought:

Aldi:  red grapes (1.92#)  $1.44

Save a Lot:  green beans, potato chips, ribeye steaks (3)  $10.94

Price Rite:  canned white chicken (6), spaghetti sauce (4)$8.04

Country Fair:  eggs (2) $1.78

Aldi:  tea bags, zucchini (4), romaine lettuce (3) $6.29

Groceries:  $28.49

Eating Out:

Lunch with Lucy:  $20.54

Two Week Total:  $49.03

Monthly Total:  $130.65

Monthly Cost/Day (22 days) $5.94

Monthly Cost/Person/Day  $2.97

New Cushion Amount: $793.16

YTD Total (164 days): $677.70

YTD Cost/Day  $4.13

YTD Cost/Person/Day  $2.07

2021 Frugal Things in May

 1.  When we arrived home from our trip, I pulled a frozen pizza, bought on sale with a coupon, out of the freezer for dinner.  Much cheaper than a meal out and easy, too.

2.  For our camping trip, I created a menu using what was in my freezer and cupboard.  Since it had virtually all been purchased on sale.  We saved a fortune over buying meals as we travel.

3.  I needed frames for pictures of the grands.  I got15 frames of different sizes for  $17.05.

4.  We went to the discount bread store and bought bagels (2), English muffins (2), and 12 grain bread for a total of $5.48.

5.  I made biscotti using a $0.79 cake mix.  I got 24 or about 3 cents/ biscotti.

2021 Buying and Eating: June 1-15

 Monthly Allocation:  $220  (Taking into account the 8 days at the lake.

Cushion Amount:  $703.81

Amount Spent YTD  (142 days)$547.05

What We Bought: 

Maraschino cherries (2), buckwheat pancake mix, French bread, porterhouse steak (1.3#)  $19.99  most items were 50% off

Dollar Tree:  salsa, shortbread cookies, ginger snaps $ 3.00

Commissary:  half gallon mocha iced coffee  $ 4.09

Commissary:  cherries (3), ice cream, cheese (2). $  1 4 .3 4

Tops:  eggs, sour cream, rye bread  $3.97

Bread Store:  sourdough bread, everything bagels (2), English muffins  $3.40

Sam's Club:    bleu cheese, olives (2)  $20.36

What We Ate:

Kielbasa on grill, watermelon, German potato salad, salad;  cheeseburger salad; taco salad; lasagna soup, salad, pepperoni balls ; beef and bean burritos and cheesy seasoned rice; steak on the grill, hasselback potatoes, peas, yogurt and fruit; veg and bean tikki masala, lima beans, bananas and yogurt; steak salad and garlic toast; sloppy Joe, potatoes Anna, peas; English muffin pizzas and popcorn; spaghetti and meat sauce, bread, fruit salad; sandwiches and chips; cheeseburger soup and toasted bagel; leftover smorgasbord; Asian peanut noodles and vegetables

Eating Out:  

Mainely  Lobster Cafe    $20.47   crab roll

Groceries:  $61.15

Eating Out:  $20.47

Two Week Subtotal:  $81.62

Remaining Allocation:  $138.38

2021 Household and Personal Care: May

 Household:

Kaboom (2)  $7.89

15 picture frames  $17.05  two thrift stores

Non stick frying pan  $2.99  Salvation Army

Charcoal  $6.44  Wal-Mart

Hand mixer  $3  Goodwill

Personal Care:

Clarifying treatment for hair  $2.96  Sally Beauty

2021 Buying and Eating: May 16-31

 Amount Spent First Two Weeks:  $34.45

Remaining Allocation:  $185.55

Cushion:  $605.82

Amount Spent YTD (120 days):  $465.04

What We Ate:  pot roast, carrots and onions, mashed potatoes, salad; shaved steak sandwiches, homemade French fries; beef stroganoff, mashed potatoes, salad; fish chowder, cheese, summer sausage and crackers; pizza and popcorn; sandwiches, yogurt and fruit ; grilled hamburger, baked beans, cottage cheese and onion; rice, beans and chicken casserole, cheese quisadilla, Caesar salad; Grilled chicken, butter beans, cottage cheese and fruit; salad with chicken and garlic cheese bread; grilled ham steak, cheesy potatoes, peas; pot roast, Brussels sprouts, baked potato, salad; grilled pork, cheesy potatoes, butter beans, fruit; fish chowder, port wine cheddar and crackers; hotdogs, baked beans, German potato salad and green beans

What We Bought:

Bread store:  bagels (2), English muffins (2), 12 grain bread  $5.48

Country Fair:  salami (.66#), sandwich pepperoni (.66#)  $3.90

Save a Lot:  hamburger and hotdog buns  $2.38

Shaw's (camping):  olives (2),'matzo, Italian bread, potatoes (10#), onions (3#), watermelon, bell pepper, lettuce, bananas  $31.55

Ocean Job Lots:  smoked herring, maple cookies  $ 4.33

Eating Out:

Lunch during camping  $4.29  Taco Bell

Lunch while sightseeing  $8.63  KFC

Lobster roll  $ 27.00 (You must have lobster while in Maine.)

Two Week Total Groceries: $47.64

Two Week Total Eating Out: $39.92

Two Week Grand Total:  $87.56

Monthly Grand Total:   $122.01 

Amount to Cushion: $97.99

New Cushion Amount: $703.81

Cost/Day:  $5.55

Cost/Person/Day (22) $ 2.77

Yearly Grand Total (142 days) : $587.05

Cost/Day : $4.13

Cost/Person/Days: $ 2.07