A Peek Inside My New Private Project

image:shche_ team on unsplash

If you've been reading along for a while, you know how much I love sharing my daily frugal habits here with you four days a week. Today, I am pulling back the curtain on something brand new—a private twice-per-month newsletter space created just for our community.

I know our inboxes are crowded, so let me give you the honest details upfront:

• The Blog Schedule Isn't Changing: I will still be posting here 4 times a week on our exact same routine. This newsletter is just an extra bonus.
• It is 100% Free: There are no hidden fees or premium paywalls.
• Your Privacy is Safe: I will never sell, leak, or give your email address to anyone. It stays strictly between us.

Think of this newsletter as a twice-per-month chat over coffee where I get to share the real, unedited family moments from my kitchen, recipes I think you'll enjoy, updates from the goings on in my garden, or a little tip I think might save you money. These topics don't always fit into a formal blog post. I think the newsletter will work beautifully and pair with the blog for additional content.

To give you a little taste of what to expect, here is a story from my kitchen this week that is just about to be sent out to our early circle members:

A funny fridge discovery (and a frugal win!)

The actual peach kefir and blueberry
muffins my daughter baked to
save our budget this week!

Hi friend,

This week, I was deep-cleaning the refrigerator to snap a nice photo for my post on low-frequency grocery shopping. As I was digging through the shelves, I stumbled across a few leftover soft foods my daughter had bought for her recent wisdom teeth extraction recovery.

She hadn't finished them off, so I made a gentle, motherly suggestion that she should probably prioritize eating those specific foods over the next couple of days.

Well, she instantly looked at me and said she could use the leftover peach kefir in her baking this week!

My heart absolutely swelled. A total "yay!" mom moment. She completely gets it! She understands the golden rule of our household: wasted food equals wasted money. It is one of the best feelings in the world to see those frugal habits naturally click with our kids.

A frugal read you might have missed:

While you wait for the next newsletter to drop, here's my favorite blog post from July with some dynamite recipe links and inspirations in the comments' section: 

10 Budget Foods That Taste Like Pure Decadence

Read this not for my post, but scroll down to the comments. There are some great recipe links and inspirations in the comments' section. So many decadent treats from you all! Check out the recipe link Kris gave. It looks like a yummy dinner! Sara provided a link to a recipe for a treat that would wow my family. Guess which fresh summer veggies Live and Learn says meet her definition of decadence? Oh, and do you do sourdough? Annie has a suggestion for using some of the discard starter. Read what Ruthie feels is decadent! I'll give you a hint, it contains one of my favorite winter "fruits." And Diane reminded us all of the "why" we do so much for our kids when we're in the stage that they're still at home everyday. And last, but not least, you have to read Alice's list. I could make a day's worth of eating from her list alone. A lot of yum in those comments!

This week's little frugal challenge:

Before you go grocery shopping this weekend, take five minutes to dig into the very back corner of your fridge. Find one ingredient that is nearing its expiration date and challenge yourself to build a meal or a baked good around it!

If you find something interesting, hit "reply" to this email and tell me what you found—I read and reply to every single message that lands in this private inbox.

Talk soon,

Lili

If you want to join our little private circle to get these honest twice-per-month stories, kitchen wins, and exclusive money-saving tips delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up right in the sidebar of this page! Just look for the "join the private frugal circle" box, type your email, and click "Join the Circle". And don't forget to confirm your subscription. You'll receive an email within minutes of subscribing. Check your spam folder if you don't see it in your inbox. I hope you join us!

Have a great weekend, friends!