Frugal Friday is Back!!

 I believe we are living in times where we all need to tighten the purse strings and learn a little more frugality. Make do and Mend.

I have been doing this kind of thing as a way of life forever really but sometimes I am more conscience of it and look to find ways to be more frugal.

Being frugal is not being cheap or not wanting to spend any money. I believe it is being careful of what we do have so that we can have the things we need, live more simply and not waste.

I have a whole lot of previous posts for Frugal Fridays that you can find under the Labels.

Lately I have been trying new things as we are finding the cost of living increasing across the board. We have three teenage boys who have healthy appetites so I like to make our grocery budget go a long way and lately that is getting harder. I find myself buying cheaper brands in the grocery shop but I am still spending the same amount at the checkout. We grow our own vegetables as you know and still the groceries are getting expensive.

So, I am on a mission to still get the things we need, eat healthy, have plenty of food for my children but not pay through the roof either.

Here are just two things I have been doing a lot more of lately to save money.

1. Re-use teabags.

Now some may say this is extreme but when you drink a lot of tea like we do, I think this is sensible. I don't reuse every single teabag, for example a herbal or fruit tea just doesn't have the punch in the second cup. It is very diluted. If things get harder then I just may have to but for now I re-use black tea. We drink quite a strong tea called Kenya Bold by Twinings Tea so it is definitely strong enough to brew again.

The best way to do it is to take the tea leaves out of the bag and empty into a teapot. I use two teabags for this and brew for about 7-8 minutes. It's not quite as strong but still has flavour and if it means we can stretch out a box of tea for another week then that is a win for me.

Check out my crazy tea collection.

Yes I know, this is a lot. To be fair 7 packs were given to me either as gifts or there are 2 packs that I got for free from my supermarket as part of a Christmas gift they were giving away.

I am trying to get through them and so apart from black tea and peppermint tea, I don't buy any other teas at the moment.

2.  Homemade bread.

I have enjoyed making my own bread off and on for many years but about 4 weeks ago I decided I am going to do it several times a week as we need bread. This is saving us a lot of money.

I mostly make a white loaf or a half wholemeal half white loaf in the bread maker. I usually put it on late at night on a timer or early in the morning if I want it warm and fresh for lunch.

I also make scones regulary to go with soup for lunch, pancakes for breakfast about every two weeks, sometimes weekly. I have always made my own pizza dough in the bread maker and a couple of weeks ago I tried making my own flat breads in the cast iron pan. They turned out quite well for the first time but I know I need practise.

I have recently been following a homesteading mum from the State of Tennessee on YouTube, who has videos on making a quick bread in the oven and American biscuits which I want to try. I know American biscuits are different from scones so I thought they might make a nice addition to my bread making.

If making your own bread is not something you have done or you do it occasionally, I encourage you to give it a go. It will save you a lot of money and is healthier for you. It is an opportunity to be creative and try out all sorts of recipes and make breads with your favourite ingredients. There are lots of recipes online and tutorials on YouTube plus I am sure your local library has a tonne of books on bread making.

I hope this sparks some ideas to inspire you as to how you can be a bit more frugal, stretch things out and save some money and waste less. It's a great feeling.

Have a blessed weekend.

Fiona 

"She gets up while it is still dark, she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it, out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously, her arms are strong for her tasks." Proverbs 31: 15-17