Artichoke Skillet

This isn’t your average casserole recipe. It’s fancy enough for company and inexpensive enough to add to your meal plan often. Chicken, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms are mixed with a homemade sauce and baked.

Then served over a bed of egg noodles. To make it even more inexpensive you can serve it over rice instead.

The flavors are great and you can make the main casserole ahead of time and tuck it away in the freezer for a quick thaw and bake meal later.

Split Pea Soup

This soup is a great soup for a busy day. Put everything into the crockpot and when you get home you’ll have a delicious and hearty soup waiting. You can use ham or sausage in this recipe. It’s not only a frugal dinner idea but also Weight Watchers friendly too.

Hamburger Soup

Soup is always a good way to stretch your grocery dollar and use up vegetables that might be going bad soon hanging out in the crisper drawer.

You can enjoy soup often in the winter and at a price that like you can really feed your family well on very little.

Add in a batch of homemade biscuits and a serving of fruit to round out the meal.

Hamburger Macaroni Skillet

This is another skillet dinner that’s quick to make and can be made ahead for the freezer too. A can of tomato sauce, a little ground beef, macaroni noodles, and seasonings is all it takes to make this inexpensive but filling frugal dinner.

Use mini lasagna noodles instead of macaroni to make it more like a skillet lasagna dish too. Serve with a salad and homemade french bread to complete the meal.

How to manage money.

Here are some ways to prevent money problems:

  1. Create and stick to a budget: Creating a budget can help you manage your money .
  2. Save for an emergencies. You never know when unexpected expenses.
  3. Think before you buy something that is not a necessity. Determine if you need it.
  4. Take a look at your expenses and cut out the ones that are not necessary or may be replaced with cheaper alternatives.
  5. Don’t spend more than you earn.
  6. Pay bills on time: Late fees add up and can make it difficult to catch up on payments.
  7. Don’t borrow more than you can afford.
  8. Start saving for retirement and other long-term goals as soon as possible.

Tips for being Frugal

General tips for being frugal.

1. Create a budget – It’s important to know how much money you have coming in and going out each month. Figure out how much you will need to cover your bills and other necessities.

2. When you need to make a purchase, take the time to do some research and compare prices. Look for sales, coupons, and discounts before making a purchase.

3. Look for ways to save on everyday expenses – Consider things like cutting down on eating out, reducing your energy bills, and borrowing from the library rather than buying new books.

4. Whenever possible, try not to take on new debt.

5. Focus on quality, not quantity – Sometimes it’s better to invest in quality items that will last longer.

6. Before making a purchase, ask yourself if you really need the item or if it’s just a want.

7. Use what you already have before buying something new, see if you already have something that will work for you.

Life

Life
Thought I would change course for a bit to talk about life. I guess now that I’m older I find myself thinking about life lately. Thinking back about being a child and the good times and also the bad times . The friends we met in school and thought we would grow up to be friends to this day. But only they all moved away and never heard from ever again. Life can be cruel sometimes. I know looking way back, that this is not the life I had imagined. Because of unforeseen circumstances I got off course and never got back on course again. And I’m sure that happens to many people. Life always has a way to send a curveball your way. If your young enough to notice you,ve gotten off course, it’s not too late to get back on course. But if your an older adult, it maybe be too late to change paths. So you just keep on the current path your on.But I’m sure we take all of our experiences with us when we die and take to the next realm of life. Life goes fast doesn’t it? When your a kid you can’t wait to be an adult. But when your older you wish you could be a kid again. So remember you only get one physical life. So do it right with no regrets.

Another Episode of Being Frugal

Get a smaller car. You can save thousands by going with a smaller car.

Rent rather than own. Don’t assume that buying is the better investment. Buying is  more costly than renting.

Next look for used items or clothing.Try freecycle.org or craigslist.org. I’ve done this a few times when I needed something.

Find free entertainment.  Entertainment costs a lot of money.The average person spends about $1,200 a year on entertainment.

Cut out the sweets.Even I struggle with that one. I love my chocolate. Too many sweets results in bad health and bad teeth and that costs money.

Drink water.Drink often. It’s good for your health.Eight glasses of water per day is all you need.

Cut out the cell phone. 20 years ago we didn’t have cell phones.A cell phone is not a necessity.

Cut your own hair. Yeah I know that one is kind of iffy. It’s cheap,it’s care-free. It saves money, and time.

Maintain stuff.Take care of what you have, it will last longer. You’ll then spend less on buying new stuff.