Frugal Friday | No Meal Plan?

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 1| A Simple Scratch Made Christmas Lunch

By taking advantage of grocery store sales, the pantry, and my price book, I was able to concoct a hearty Christmas Lunch for seven with plenty of leftovers for about $40. Be sure to check out my post that breaks down the menu and food costs.

2| Yep, Not a Meal Plan in Sight

So many leftovers in fact, that I didn't even bother with a meal plan for this week, especially since Friday was New Year's Day (a work holiday for us). 

Leftovers were primarily served as-is, the only leftover transformation was the picked bits of the whole chicken were used to make a pesto chicken dish. I also made a quick Gnocchi and Sausage dish for work lunches to use up the last of the heavy cream.

Is not meal planning always frugal? Absolutely not! In some cases though, it allows you to get creative with leftovers or pre-prepped foods. Plus, the mental break is always welcome too.

3| Post-Christmas Deals

I stopped at Walmart and Marden's (a local surplus and salvage chain) to peruse the post-Christmas markdowns. I scored some shampoo and conditioner sets, wrapping paper, and chocolate all for 50% off.

Our local Shaw's also had a good amount of Christmas clearance, I snagged a chocolate bar and a dented can of corn.

Take advantage of post-holiday markdowns to stock up on non-perishables/ shelf stable items for the next season, holiday, or event to save you from paying full price later on. Just remember to not over-do it!

4| I Modified Our Chewy Autoship

I always review our Chewy autoship before it gets ordered to ensure that that prices haven't changed dramatically.

One of the dry foods I was going to purchase came with a free sample this month, I just had to add it to the order. The other bag of dry food was available in a new style for $3 per bag cheaper, so I opted for that one instead, as our cats aren't picky. A small savings, but a saving none the less!

Ebisu, My Blanket-Making Assistant


5| We Fixed Our Cat Feeder (Again)

One of our cats likes to inhale his dry food, so we use a variety of food puzzles to help slow down his eating, and provide some mental stimulation.

Unfortunately for the beehive, it has also been the victim of cat-zoomie attacks, and the occasional kick from the human foot in the cover of night.

The plastic that joins the "hive" to the base is weak. It has been snapped a few times in the past and been repaired with epoxy. This time there was no way to epoxy it back together, so we opted for 15 mini zip ties instead (which were a free pile find!).


Frugality takes on forms big and small. The purpose of five frugal things is to highlight the little day to day frugal choices or opportunities that we are presented with, along with the occasional big one.

Feel free to share your five frugal thing!

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