Being Frugal Cleaning and Eating

Hi Everyone!

I have been a bit busy and haven't had time to post a lot lately. I feel guilty when I see the huge gaps between posts. I hope some of you still enjoy my blog! :D

I have been busy doing a lot of Spring Cleaning lately which of course involves a lot of cleaning chemical...or does it? Not when you are Frugal!

I hardly ever use any sort of cleaning chemical anymore. In fact I think the strongest cleaning chemical I have in the house is my dish washing soap. I use a mixture of Vinegar and Water with about 1/2 teaspoon of dish washing soap in to help strip off wax and residue from old cleaners. This is my "Glass and Surface" cleaner that doesn't leave streaks and doesn't have weird blue dye in it either.

For harder messes I use baking soda wet down to make a paste and sometimes a bit of my dish washing soap. If it really needs extra help it soaks in straight vinegar for an hour before I dump baking soda in the water and then scrub.

My floors get washed with the "Glass and Surface" mixture mentioned above- simply squirt and wipe in most cases. For all other messes such as washing walls I just use good old soap and water.

When Vinegar is under $2 a gallon and Baking Soda is $.49 a pound, I can't think of a more frugal way to clean. I buy cleaning rags at Walmart- 18 wash clothes for $5. They do a great job and are just the right size. Also I don't feel bad about using them up on a job that might stain the heck out of them, though more rags get worn out than thrown away.

I have also been extra frugal with shopping and eating lately. I called around to check meat prices before grocery shopping this month. It turns out that a small local butcher/meat locker has better meat prices than our local Winco (west coast discount grocer). I paid $77 for a month's worth of meat and it will actually probably last us closer to 2 months as I have hardly touched the meat supply as of yet.

I bought about 7 pound of assorted varieties of beans. I am really looking for a cheaper way to buy bulk beans as $1.30 a pound seems really high to me.

Here is my shopping receipt from 4-7-08. I had to go again tonight as I realized a few staples like flour were about to run out.
Shopping Reciept:
Dozen Eggs-1.50
Hunts Tomato Sauce- 1.67
Hunts Tomato Sauce- 1.67
Hunts Tomato Sauce- 1.67
Hunts Tomato Paste- 1.39
Hunts Tomato Paste- 1.39
Beets (canned)- .62
Treetop Apple Sauce- 1.98
Gallon of milk- 2.98
Hunts Tomato Sauce- 1.67
Apple Juice- 1.23
Kiwi Strawberry Juice- 1.26
Apple juice- 1.23
Cranberry Juice- 1.26
Green Cabbage- 1.34
Lettuce- .98
2lbs carrots- .98
Great Northern dry beans- 2.18
beets sliced- .62
Pizza Sauce- .53
Pizza Sauce- .53
Dried black beans- 1.13
dried kidney beans- 2.46
Dried black beans- 1.13
dried black beans- 1.13
celery- 1.00
gallon of milk- 2.98
3 Green Bell peppers- .96
2 Red Bell Peppers- 1.74
Bendy Straws- 1.48
broccoli crowns- 1.18
Granola Bars fudge dipped- 1.58
coconut granola bars- 1.58
Raisins- 1.49
Cream of chicken soup- .88
cream of chicken soup- .88
cream of mushroom soup- .88
tomato sauce- .53
unsalted butter- 1.98
real lemon juice- 2.15
sour cream- 1.38
potatoes 10#- 1.98
orange juice- 1.48
broccoli florets (frozen)- 1.80
roma tomatoes- 1.83
5lb onions- 1.68
orange juice- 1.48
chow mein noodles- 1.43
olive oil- 4.18
measuring spoons- 2.09
non stick spray- 1.84
grapeseed oil- 7.64
frozen peas- 1.74
taco seasoning- .44
mozzarella- 5.98 (2 lb loaf)
honey tangerines- 3.21
shortening- 2.51
ranch packet .98
medium cheddar cheese- 5.98

Grand total- $114.73
Plus $77 at butcher which includes 2 pot roasts, 4 pork chops, 10 lbs of fresh hamburger, 10 chicken breasts, 2 whole (small) chickens and I can't remember what else! LOL

So for a WHOLE month worth of food (and then some)- $191.73!!*

** Plus an additional $60 tonight because I actually was out of some things that I had not realized so $251.73 and I anticipate another $20 because I forgot to buy vinegar, shampoo and conditioner and dog food. This month it looks like I am going to be about $100 over budget but some things won't have to be bought again before we move.


I made a huge vat of Black Bean soup that I am going to stretch with more rice as I think I put in too much garlic. This is going to be lunches for the rest of the month. For dinner tonight we are having pot roast with veggies. I am hoping to have left overs of that for dinner tomorrow as well- maybe in cottage pie.

I have found that planning your meals in advance really helps with shopping and eases the strain of trying to figure out what to fix for dinner at night. Here is a month's worth of meals. Feel free to use for inspiration if you like. I will try to come up with new and varies menus each month. If you would like my recipes for my dinners let me know. I will try to remember to post them as I go.



Posted - Apr 01 2008 : 1:06:21 PM Show Profile Email Poster Edit Reply Click to see Alee's MSN Messenger address Send Alee a Yahoo! Message Reply with Quote Delete Reply
Dinner Meals
Month- April
1-Chicken Breast with chicken stock made rice, frozen veggies
2-Stir Fry to use left over chicken, rice and veggies.
3-Left over Chili if any left/ If not Spaghetti.
4- Left over Spaghetti with salad and fruit
5- Hamburgers
6- Crock Pot Pot Roast with roasted root veggies (yummy!)
7- Taco Night
8- Cabbage Burgers
9- Baked Fish and Chips (Tillapia Fish battered and baked with potato wedges)
10- Hearty Beef Stew (Made with beef broth, lots of veggies and a bit of stew meat)
11- Meatloaf
12- Chicken Alfredo
13- Salmon and Rice with veggies
14- Pulled Pork
15- Homemade chicken fingers
16- Homemade Pizza
17- Chicken and Dumplings
18- Cuban Rice and Peppers
19- Ranch Chicken and Pasta
20- Cottage Pie
21- Either roasted chicken or small turkey
22- Open Faced turkey or chicken sandwiches
23- Pork Chops with apple sauce and peas
24- Supreme Baked Potatoes
25- Mushroom Burgers
26- Hawaiian Haystacks
27- Pot Roast with Roasted Veggies
28- Sub sandwiches
29- Chicken Enchiladas
30- Calzones