Does it ever confuse you why green living can be so complicated? Some practices are almost a deterrent from incorporating this into our lifestyles. I have found that I desire to use green practices, but not at the cost of sacrificing my simple life practices. But there is one good thing that keeps me from feeling guilty, simple living often incorporates green living by its essence. Having less, means less garbage, less waste, less cleaning products to care for stuff, less time to care for stuff, less stuff to replace, etc. But how can you do more when you are already struggling to incorporate my simple living practices into your life?
Be thoughtful before you purchase an item. Do you need it? How will it affect the environment and now and in the future? Will there be continuing resources to purchase with using the product? Is there an environmentally friendly way to do this? Some products are now environmentally friendly due to companies making it easy for you. Refillable items, sold in recycled easily disposable items that are poured into a permanently re-usable dispenser are a great example of this. Technology companies often offer an easy method to recycle items such as ink cartridges and batteries by including prepaid envelopes to send the old and empty containers back to them in.
Wash your clothes in cold water only. This completely eliminates the heating of water. I have not found any significant difference in the cleanliness or stain removal of our clothing. I have not used warm or hot water for years. Once you get into this practice, if you have to purchase a new washer, you can often save money by purchasing a model that has fewer options. Additionally, with cold water I have noticed that I can use significantly less detergent to clean a load of laundry.
If at all possible, try carpooling for different activities. Even if you can’t use this practice every day, try finding ways to incorporate carpooling one or two days per week. You will save money, and be able save the environment at the same time. When you can’t carpool, consider sharing errands with a friend or neighbor. If you and a friend both have a designated errand day, that fall on different days, call each other the night before to ask if the other needs anything. This will help eliminate the need for you to make an extra trip out for some forgotten, but needed item for you AND your friend. This saves, time, gas, and emissions!
There are lots of ways to being incorporating green practices into your life style in a simple way. As with other simple living practices, don’t wait, and get started today, with just one idea that you can change this month!
These are my thoughts.
Leslie Valeska
~Contributing Writer~
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking.
For FREE daily tips and a FREE E-zine on simple and frugal living visither blog Journey to Simplicity. Need a source of encouragement, inspiration, and support on your journey to Godly womanhood? Visit Simple Journey Ministries (she has a FREE E-zine too!) Of course, don’t forget to visit the Simple Journey Bookstore!
Hello all! I apologize (again) for being so scarce here lately. I have many a post written in my head to share with you but can't seem find the time or energy to get it into the computer. Ah, such is life.
Chas asked me the other day how I made Apple Cider Vinegar since she has been blessed recently with an abundance. Apple Cider Vinegar is very simple and can be made with the leftover peels and cores from other apple-making projects.
I've written these very simple Apple Cider Vinegar making instruction here. So go ahead and try it. This vinegar is not as strong as true cider vinegar made from cider (i.e. apple juice) but it does the trick and costs a lot less than the vinegars at the grocery store! Enjoy!
Kristin Hoffman homesteads with her family in the hills of East Tennessee and blogs about alternative energy, family farming, and home schooling with her husband at www.solarfamilyfarm.com. She can also be found cooking in the kitchen with her homemade apple cider vinegar.
Hello to all our faithful readers... Well, I asked and you supplied. Here is a gathering of all the Christmas Gift Giving Ideas you shared with me... as more come in, I will try and add to this post.
Rhonda suggested:
Someone on this blog mentioned having a homemade Christmas. I took this idea and presented it to my mom and much to my surprise, she loved it. She is now busy making Christmas presents, she is ahead of me in this. This should be fun and interesting. My dd who is 9 is making catnip mice for her grandma who has many cats.
Rhonda
Jesusbemylight offered her thoughts:
It's really hard when you have a big family (10 for me) to do a handmade gift for everyone and expect everyone else to do the same. So, what we've found works the best for gift giving is that our family participates in a 'game' called Kris Kringle: At the beginning of Advent (4 weeks before Christmas) we all draw each others names out of a hat (pick again if it's your name). For the next 4 weeks until Christmas we have to keep our Kris Kringle a secret while at the same time being particularly nice to 'our person'. It's so much fun when you walk into your bedroom and see your bed made or your clothes hung up and you realize: "ahh, my Kris Kringle's been here." :-) Then, at Christmas we have to make (or buy) a gift for our Kris Kringle and that's when we reveal ourselves to each other. Usually, you have pretty much figured out everyone's Kris Kringles by Christmas day (especially in a big family with lots of little ones :-P). But it's never taken the fun away and there's still usually a few surprises to be had.
I enjoy making handmade gifts A LOT though, so I usually make more than just my Kris Kringle. I try to make something useful, that they'll really like, and frugal/cheep at the same time. Tough! By now I've pretty much figured out what each kid likes. I have one brother who will take anything Spider-man, (the only hard part is making/getting him something Spidy that he doesn't already have!). Another brother likes any camouflage, guns, or movie-making related. One sister loves purple and horses while another prefers pink and loves to write. One sibling is those easy kind that will LOVE me for anything I make for him with my own hands (a fun one for sure!). The youngest two still like toys and play things so they are the most fun to make things for and yet definitely the most challenging. So, once you can categorize everybody like that, handmade gift giving becomes much easier. Though, I'm behind if I'm going to make everyone something again this year. Last year I started in July! I might stick to just my Kris Kringle this year and do more in my community (with the little kids) as far as homemade gift giving goes. The younger kids just love that!
Homesteadinthemaking said:
Right now I am canning all the muscadines and pears that I can. I will give neighbors and friends a jar of jelly and a fresh baked loaf of bread.
Deutschmum
This year I am making several things for people in our family as well as friends and neighbors. For starters, I have made and canned blueberry jam and blackberry jam (with un-treated berries picked by me and our children!); fig preserves (with un-treated figs picked by a wonderful set of grandparents we have recently "discovered"!) and I have been making lots of soap and other toiletry items since I am testing items to start my own business. I've handed out samples of all of these things to family members and so far the reaction is GREAT! I am so excited!
I have made ornaments and will also be tackling making some small quilts for my parents, brother/wife, and sister/family (which I need to start ASAP!). There are lots of things I WANT to make for the holidays, but I know it will be best to stick with a few and actually get them done! :)
canadianroxieg9:
We are a large family and I have made homemade Christmas gifts all my life Not every single gift I give has been homemeade but lots have. Everything from crocheted afghans to flannel pj'sto handsewn dollies to western shirts of various sizes little dresses dolly clothes stuffed toys handknitted mitties and socks baked goods beadworkquilts the lists just goes on and on. I have a friend that does silk scarf dying and am hoping to get her to make some for me or teach me how to do that They are lovely. Well everyone have fun with your Christmas gift making. Flannel or fleece sleep pants are a big hit for our numerous fellows.
Abmiller:
I've put up more canning this year than last with gift giving in mind. I think in this day and age of hurriedness homemade food is really appreciated. So I've canned & plan to give:
~strawberry jam
~Dilly beans (pickled green beans)
~blueberry pie filling
~apple butter
~zucchini relish
(I also plan on making some applesauce & apple pie filling.)
I like the idea above of giving homemade jam & a loaf of homemade bread. Doesn't get any better than that, yum!
Anonymous :
I like to prepare for the holidays with this web site. You can print all kinds of free stuff to make a Christmas section for your household notebook--and they have great crafts and gift tags:
http://organizedchristmas.com
Amy Jo:
I am making aprons and potholders for several of the woman folk. The children are getting character pillowcases that I will sew filled with goodies. I am making some Christmas stocking from my late father's tie collection for both of my brothers. And of course making honey butter, cracnberry honey, assorted breads, cookies, etc. to give as gifts as well.
Our family is going to try to do as much homemade as possible this year. I know hubby's family will think is is great, but my family is a different story. LOL
TammyLynn:
I like doing gift baskets. I have been making extra salsa this year since we had such a wonderful supply of tomatoes from our garden. I have found a fun soup mix recipe the Sis and I will be putting into jars and decorating. I have been keeping my eye out for inexpensive or even better FREE baskets. I will add other little things and before you know it your basket is full.
Now you've got me all EXCITED!!!!
Blueeyedgirl:
In the past few years I've been making tea and coffee mixes, cookie and brownie mixes in jars, and lots of candy. You can do so much with the packaging to make the gifts really cute. My family members like gettng baskets filled with butter caramels, pralines. chocolate covered pretzels . . . Oh my goodness!! I can't wait for Christmas! I also like to make ornaments. When I was about 14 or so I got a pattern for a set of cross-stitched victorian ornaments and I think I've made a set every year since then. Of course they're always given away, but that's the fun part! This is my first visit to the front porch and I'm so glad I dropped by! My wheels are turning . . . gotta go make something!
Keep the great ideas coming everyone!
From My Homestead to Yours,
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger Heritage Acres Farm
The countdown is ON friends! We are now only 113 days away!
I love Christmas, I love the decorations, the lights, the kindness shown, the miracle of the birth of Jesus... it puts me in a peaceful state, a tranquil attitude where I just soak it all in.
I make many of my own gifts for Christmas. I love the gesture of handmade items. Yes, it is more frugal for me... but to me it says, I love you so much that I took the time to think of you and make this item especially for you!
So my question to all of you today is....
What are you doing to get ready for Christmas?
What are you going to be making? What are your ideas for handmade gifts? Please share. If we have enough to participate I will compile a list and make a new post with everyones ideas.
Have a great day.
From my Homestead to yours,
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger Heritage Acres Farm
Food costs are on the rise. We have all seen it. We are all trying to manage and figure out hwo we are going to pay for those same growing grocery bills with a budget that is not growing. Try your hand at growing some veggies. I am not talking about starting a veggie patch out in your yard. Many don’t have the time, energy, desire, or resources for a home garden. However you can grow quite a bit of veggies in containers such as larger flower pots and 5 gallon buckets. Tomatoes are a GREAT choice for the first time veggie gardener because they are so versatile and you get a lot of yield per plant. This means you could grow enough tomatoes of 3-4 plants to keep you in spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, salsa, soup, and salad for quite some time! Container gardening is a great way to do a little money saving on the groceries, without having to have a master’s in Greenthumbology! It’s simple and it’s frugal!
These are my thoughts.
Leslie Valeska
~Contributing Writer
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. Simple Journey Ministries was established to encourage, support, and inspire women, from all walks of life, to engage and continue on a path of Godly Womanhood. You can visit her at her blog Journey to Simplicity (www.leslievaleska.com/blog), Simple Journey Ministries (www.leslievaleska.com), and Simple Journey Bookstore (www.leslievaleska.com/bookstore)
I received an email a few days ago. I thought it best to pose the question to ya'll and then direct her here.
How do I determine the minimum clothing requirements for my family? It appears to me that we have too many clothes. Laundry day is everyday and looks like mountains of dirty clothing. I honestly think they just keep wearing what they find folded or hanging until there is simply nothing left. I'm tired. I'm trying to come up with ways of minimizing excessive/repetitive chores, so I don't lose my everlovin' mind while still trying to home school, cook, put food by, sew, garden our food crops, raise 3 beautiful boys with autism and be a good wife to a man whose mother never cleaned a day in her life (or taught him how). I know the Lord has given me a wonderful family to love and care for, but there must be some ways to make the tasks a bit easier? No?
Please take time and give me your ideas... I think we could all use good ideas to make things a little more organized around our homes.
We don’t always have a lot of time. Shopping is time consuming and tedious at best. BUT there is something to be said for deliberate shopping. What is deliberate shopping? Simply put it is taking time to shop. Be conscious of your purchases. Take time to compare prices and check labels for ingredients. Don’t always buy what you know. Right now prices are changing rapidly and frequently. Once a month take time to shop deliberately. Be certain what you are purchasing is the best bang for your buck.
If you do this at least once a month, you will begin to notice you actually enjoy this time of shopping. For me, I cannot do this effectively with others in tow. So, the hubby and I make plans that I will have an hour or so to shop on my own once or twice a month. My future goal is to have time to do this once a week, because the results are bigger savings and a less chaotic mind. This simple activity makes frugal living a blessing in disguise. Make time to do this and your wallet will thank you because your money will be right where it belongs!
These are my thoughts.
Leslie Valeska
~Contributing Writer
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. Simple Journey Ministries was established to encourage, support, and inspire women, from all walks of life, to engage and continue on a path of Godly Womanhood. You can visit her at her blog Journey to Simplicity (www.leslievaleska.com/blog), Simple Journey Ministries (www.leslievaleska.com), and Simple Journey Bookstore (www.leslievaleska.com/bookstore)
One basic tenant of simple living is having less stuff. Doesn’t that sound so easy? Less stuff. It doesn’t get more simple than that. Well…that’s a nice thought isn’t it. But getting there is MORE than half the battle!
About seven years ago I went through a nesting period and I decluttered with a tenacity unknown to anyone excepta nesting mother. A year after baby I noticed that someone kept putting things in my home while I was sleeping, or something, because there was stuff everywhere. I tried to get back into that nesting mode, but my attempts seemed futile at best. I was so strongly desirous of getting rid of stuff that I began dreaming of myself saying “Beam them Up Scotty!” while looking at piles of stuff on the transporter deck. YES! Problem solved. What I needed was a transporter for the unwanted stuff! That is when my mindset began to change.
I noted that the only way to control stuff, was to buy less of it. That was a GREAT and oh so unique thought process, that surely I would be remembered as one of the masters. Master of what, I had no idea! But what to do with the stuff we had. Hmmmm…
It occured to me that with the stuff we had and didn’t needbeaming it up to some unknown location was like transporting my stuff to a landfill. I don’t think so. Alas alack, what’s a mom to do with a house FULL of stuff? We have never had any luck with yard sales. We don’t have time for Ebay, what with all the picture taking, posting, weighing, packaging, and transporting the stuff to the post office. Oh and those post office lines! Ebay doesn’t make me enough cash to pay for my time in those lines!!! Just this year I came up with an idea that was absolutely SIMPLE and FRUGAL!
I have mentioned the fantasmic blessing of such groups as Freecyclein which anyone can acquire stuff posted for free. You can also post items that you want to get rid of for free. But with a house FULL of stuff to deploy, posting individual items and making arrangements to have each one of them picked up was daunting, to say the least. That’s when my plan came into affect. Have a Freecycle Yard “Sale.”
Schedule a week to ten days to declutter your entire house. YES, I said your ENTIRE house! EVERY room! You can schedule a room or two per day. Gather some boxes from grocers, etc to place your unwanted stuff in. You do NOT need to spend extra time organizing like things together. Just DO it! Be ruthless! You will need a clearing station; a place to put all your unwanted stuff. When the whole house is devoid of unwanted items, pick a Saturday to post a Freecycle Yard “Sale” to as many lists as you have in your area. You will want to list some key items groups of items, but it is NOT necessary to list more than 10. Post your address and mention that everything will be in your drive way; noting that for one day only everything is free on a first come first serve basis. (Do not promise to hold any item for anyone.) On your Yard “sale” day move all of the items out of your garage and line both sides of your driveway. This allows “shoppers” to pick through items with ease.
The first time I did this, I did not have a chance to post until 1 pm on a Saturday afternoon and thought we might not get many people because who would be home on their computer on such a gorgeous day. Soon you will hear the words, “If you post it, they will come.” And come will they!!!! That particular day ALL of the items except for a few small items were GONE by 5 pm! We didn’t have to wait for 5 or 6 yard salers and then haul our unwanted stuff back into the garage. We didn’t have to deal with haggling. We knew our items were not going into the landfill. We didn’t spend a dime on advertising or gas to cart the stuff to a thrift shop. It was SPLENDIFEROUS!
The best part for us was that we were helping others. Someone did mention that “shoppers” may be picking the items up to sell in a yard sale themselves. Our reply was that we didn’t care. Our main objective was to rid ourselves of these items and get them into other homes. If that meant someone else turning a buck, then God has used us to bless them!
Push back that feeling of being overwhelmed. You CAN begin living simply today!
These are my thoughts.
Leslie Valeska
~Contributing Writer~
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. Simple Journey Ministries was established to encourage, support, and inspire women, from all walks of life, to engage and continue on a path of Godly Womanhood. You can visit her at her blog Journey to Simplicity (www.leslievaleska.com/blog), Simple Journey Ministries (www.leslievaleska.com), and Simple Journey Bookstore (www.leslievaleska.com/bookstore)
I have been reading through these books this weekend. In short what I can tell you is WOW! These books cover areas with children that are both crucial and often overlooked.
All these 5 e-books plus 14 bonus downloads are ONLY $19.95!!!
Use the link above or the one below and get your set QUICK because the sale ends tomorrow! You can save the cost of the entire package by using the tips in Kids Cents alone! So check out more by going over there NOW!
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. Simple Journey Ministries was established to encourage, support, and inspire women, from all walks of life, to engage and continue on a path of Godly Womanhood. You can visit her at her blog Journey to Simplicity(www.leslievaleska.com/blog), Simple Journey Ministries (www.leslievaleska.com), and Simple Journey Bookstore (www.leslievaleska.com/bookstore)
Think the cost of gas is high? Me too. Today I heard a news report that predicted gas would reach $5/gallon before summer's end. The same report included information about a raise in electricity prices as well. Although it wasn't included in the reports, this will directly affect the cost of other items, especially groceries and other necessities. With all these prices rising and our paychecks remaining constant, how can a family stay within their budget?
One way to combat prices is to take a stern approach to re-evaluating your gas usage. If gas is your main source of heat and cooking energy, you are going to do a bit of number crunching as the prices continue to rise. The good news is that the winter is behind us, so there won't be heating costs. But summer is around the bend. For those of living in the south, we already have been running our air conditioners for the last few weeks.
With home cooling costs, think just inside the comfort zone. By turning your thermostat up to 78-79 degrees, your a/c will run less. If you have an automated thermostat, use the day night settings. This can really be an energy saver. If your home is cooled by means of window units, only run them when you are home during the mid season. As the hotter months come around, keep the units at a constant temperature; preferably at the warmest you can tolerate.If you still have need of a heat source and you have some type of wood burning element (stove, fireplace, soapstone insert) consider using it exclusively.
Cooking is another issue. I have spent time today trying to forecast the most efficient method of cooking with the estimated rise in cost of energy. As best I can figure with "ghost" numbers, small electric appliances will be the best methods of cooking with the least amount of money spent on gas and electric. The small appliances I evaluated and found to be the best were the crockpot, electric skillet, counter-top grill, and microwave.
I have never cooked in a microwave (ours is nothing more than a bread box). However, using the energy sticker (your appliances will either have a sticker or an imprint of wattage on them) I was able to calculate that it would be less expensive to use the microwave to roast a chicken than either a gas or electric oven. The crockpot yielded an even higher energy savings for roasting the same chicken. The good news for us, is that spring is here and summer is fast approaching. This means that we are less inclined to want to heat up our kitchens by using the oven and stove top. Small electric appliances are an excellent resource for the homemaker to help cut energy costs.
A much over looked resource for energy efficient cooking today, is the old fashioned charcoal grill. Gas grills are wonderful (we have one). They are quick to light and heat up. However, with the cost of gas today, it can be costly. Even if you already own a gas grill, consider purchasing a charcoal grill. They can be very inexpensive for a bare bones model. Either way, grilling keeps household energy costs down.
One more food preparation option that will help with slashing home energy costs, are "uncooked" dinners. These are meals that are comprised mostly, if not solely of uncooked or previously cooked ingredients. For example, salads can be made in abundance and with a great variety. Left over meat from another meal will make a great protein topping. Sandwiches are another wonderful option to use leftovers. Sandwiches can be simple or complex, you choose. Planning ahead for these types of meals is the way to go. When you are making chicken for dinner one night, be sure to cook enough to stretch for another two or three simple uncooked meals. In this way you are using the energy source and heating up your kitchen only once.
These are some tips to get you thinking about how you can change a few methods you may be more accustomed to that will help you to reduce your energy costs. The next post will focus on ways to cut back on vehicle energy costs.
These are my thoughts.
Leslie Valeska
~contributing writer~
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. Simple Journey Ministries was established to encourage, support, and inspire women, from all walks of life, to engage and continue on a path of Godly Womanhood. You can visit her at her blog Journey to Simplicity(www.leslievaleska.com/blog), Simple Journey Ministries (www.leslievaleska.com), and Simple Journey Bookstore (www.leslievaleska.com/bookstore)
Clothing can be expensive; especially with kids. Hand me downs are one of the best ways to cut down on clothing costs. A way to tweak that system or just for kids clothing in general is to develop a pattern for your purchases, BEFORE you shop.
Kids out grow their clothing so quickly! On top of that if you have multiple children of different genders, hand me downs can be difficult to accomplish. Finding clothes that are sturdy and cost effective can be difficult. Remember that smart marketing executive who realized that kids have the biggest impact on purchases within a family? Well, the exec was so smart that it was discovered that if you market clothing directly to children, parents will buy it! Thus the influx of clothes marketed with characters. These characters not only encourage kids to want them, but after they are purchased your children are now walking billboards for that character, resulting in even more sales. I hope that marketing executive got a bonus for finding a way to advertise the company's products for free by using our children and having US pay for it!
Another marketing executive determined that they could help homemakers so much if they sold kids clothing in sets. Oh, happy day! Clothing that is prematched...until you get it home, your child wears it one time, it is laundered and replaced in their drawer...never to worn as a set again. LOL!
Don't get me wrong; our kids have clothing with characters from time to time. We also have had clothing that is a set. One of our children is not as influenced with characters as he is with a particular genre of clothes. He sees a t-shirt with some sport on it and he wants it! But there is a way to make your children's wardrobes more simple and do it frugally.
Firstly, stay away from patterns. Patterned tops and bottoms often limit the matching possibilities as well as the passing down of said items between different genders. A solid red t-shirt can be worn with just about any colored bottom AND can be worn by both boys and girls! That said, if your daughter likes pink and the next child is a boy, don't restrict pink from her wardrobe completely. However, limit the amount of pink shirts, so that some shirts can be handed down. There are several shades of blues, greens, purples, yellows, and oranges, that can be worn by both. Big brother's t-shirts can be paried with a simple fabric bottom to make a dress for younger sister. This would be very difficult to do with gender patterned or specific character clothing.
Wth bottoms, solids are the best way to match tops AND promote hand me possibilities. Solid colored cotton shorts and sweats can be handed down regardless of gender with ease. Blue jeans can also be handed down. A pair of boys jeans can be girl-i-fied with the additions of a pretty patch,lace, ribbon, or iron-on. Another great idea is take boys jeans and khakis and turn them into skirts for younger sisters. This is EASILY done. The small pieces of fabric needed to make the transition will allow you to really customize those boy bottoms into girl friendly clothing items.
This process also makes dressing MUCH more simple for children. With solid tops and bottoms, pairing clothing takes only a moment, because most everything will match. Additionally, solid colored clothing is consistently LESS expensive.
These are my thoughts.
Leslie Valeska
~contributing writer~
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. Simple Journey Ministries was established to encourage, support, and inspire women, from all walks of life, to engage and continue on a path of Godly Womanhood. You can visit her at her blog Journey to Simplicity(www.leslievaleska.com/blog), Simple Journey Ministries (www.leslievaleska.com), and Simple Journey Bookstore (www.leslievaleska.com/bookstore)
I put out the plea last week for everyone to rally together and list your favorite frugal tip. We had several to participate and I appreciate each and every one!
The first one is from Wendy and her blog A Sunny Place:
First of all - Read the Tightwad Gazette Complete - she's truly the queen of frugal.
Frugal things we do:
Bulk/stock up shopping -shopping more often gives way to buying things we don't need (at least for me it does) So Last Nov we bulk purchased diapers, toilet paper, Kleenex, Sant. Knap., etc and
--Can when items are in season - we canned up a storm in the fall (over 300 jars of stuff) and grocery shopping was local for milk, fresh carrots, etc.
-- Cut our cell phone back to a pay as you go plan - and use it ONLY AS NEEDED and it cut the temptation to talk on it excessively and saved us a bundle! We now spend $200 per year for 2 phones rather than $65/month.
--Stay home! :0) Be a true stay at home mom!
--Buy used clothing (maximize garage sales, hand me downs, Goodwill is the best place!)
--www.homeschoolclassifieds.com has helped make homeschooling affordible to us!
--Don't shop. The only stores I frequent on a regular basis is our local Goodwill and the grocery store. I can't tell you the last time I went into a department store, honestly.
-- Keep a price book - and when you see great sales - if it's local - stock up (on need type items),
--Buy local - especially in the fall and can and freeze what you can. I chop and freeze green peppers and make our own pizza sauce, so I make the dough from scratch and only the pepperoni is purchased - I ration the pepperoni to only a limited amount of pieces per pizza. We eat this weekly - a treat for all - and fairly economical.
--Don't go out to eat. Last year as a family we went to a sit down (Bob Evans) out 1X - with 3 free meal coupons. We went Fast Food a couple times and got carry out pizza only a couple times in the entire year (1X with free pizza coupon).
--Find a scratch n dent type store near you. we have been able to find a variety of things at our local one.
--Buy ingredients and extras (such as chips, etc) are treats (even store bought cereal - try to limit our consumption greatly!) - make foods from scratch.
--Cancel your subs. to the newspaper, or extra magazines you don't really read - find someone to give you theirs when you are done (we get several different magazines second hand from those who know we will read them and are done with them).
--Find local great prices (we have a potato farm nearby and buy 100 lbs at a time in the fall, local dairy sells ice cream half gallons for $2 - including occasionally organic, etc
--we use cloth knapkins (Goodwill $.50 or make your own - we've done both)
--use rags/towels instead of paper towels.
--replace some light bulbs with flourescent
--brown meat - 1 lb and divide into 3 portions - freeze 2 and use only one - in soups/spaguetti sauce, etc. You may not miss it - or supplement with beans or lentils to help with filler
--make a pot of coffee in the morning, and then turn off - then I warm up later in the day for my mid-day coffee what was left from the morning, and don't make a new pot. Some also say you can just add more grounds to save on grounds. I tried, and I must be too spoiled -I didn't like it! But an idea for some...
--we make so many things from scratch that the other day my 6 yr old asked "Mom, can we make our own gum?" :0)
Our next was from Susan at DHC Farm
Here are some links to some posts I've made on my blog about our favorite way to save money.
Find your local salvage grocery store. Okay, so it's not superwal-mart and you'll have to dig in cardboard boxes for items, but it's well worth it with name-brand cereals (even organic at times) at $1 a box and canned foods around $.10 a can.
Serve smaller portion sizes. Okay, so not really a money saving tip, but I tend to king-size our family's portions and making them smaller gives us a better chance of having leftovers for lunch which is not only a money saver, but a time saver as well.
Pack your hubbies (or your own) lunch. This will save you about $25-30 per week or more depending on where you dine!
Carpool to the grocery store. With gas prices so high the neighbor from the next farm and I go together about 1x a week.
Buy less=spend less. Forgo the gourmet starbuck coffees and needless clothes and shoes just because they're way cute! How many clothes do we need really? With twins, I've discovered that if I pared all of my children's wardrobe down to about 9 outfits per week, my laundry would be much less--again, not only in time spent, but in money spent.
These tips are not revolutionary, but thought they might help!
Monica at Books, Bedlam and A Lively Hope
has these thoughts...
Here are some of mine:
Don't assume that just because a store *says* they have the lowest price, that they do. Compare store circulars and shop around, then stock up when items are at their rock bottom price. Most stores are now being built close together, so this should not involve a lot of driving around, either.
Don't go to the dollar store to just browse...and if you think they have something there you need, don't assume that a dollar is the lowest price you can pay for it. You'd be amazed what I have bought for much less than a dollar on the clearance shelves at other grocery/discount stores.
Don't waste money on buying cleaning products without first investigating the uses of vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide. There are a lot of good cleaning ideas here: http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm
Learn to sew.
And of course, for entertainment, education, information, and all sorts of good things, use your local library!
Regina at Homesteading Wife in Training
What I try to use coupons for items that I use regularly and use them on the days the coupons are doubled.
Also buying bread from bread outlets. They sell bread and other baked goods that the supermarkets send them when the bread is getting close to the "sell by" date. They sell it at reduced prices and often have coupons for getting free items when you have bought a certain amount of items.
There are already so many wonderful ideas posted. When I think about saving money I think about my entire house and lifestyle. Take for example right now the three F's (Food, Fuel, Feed) are taking more of our finances, so once you have cut as much as possible from those areas I look at where else I could save money. Turn off lights, I only use the clothes line to dry clothes, I shop for cheaper insurance, canceled newspaper subscription (Too busy this time of year to read it anyway), consolidated freezers (I can use one until harvest), Do necessary tune-ups on vehicles (for fuel savings). In general I trim up the budget everywhere. A dollar saved here can go towards the increased cost in another area. We have increased the size of our garden area, fruit trees and bushes, chicken yard, and rabbit breeder stock. It sounds odd to be increasing in areas but if prices continue to increase we will need to provide more for ourselves and others in these area's. If we plan ahead now and this continues like they say it is then it will be easier down the road.
Kristin Hoffman offers her help on making your own pet food!
I too saw the FaithFarms post! Excellent idea. Last month I went to buy dog & cat food and it had gone waaaay up! In one month! So I figured I could buy a bag of rolled oats at the feed store (about $15) and add my extra eggs, skim milk, buttermilk, table scraps and my dogs would eat better for a lot less money. I also make corn bread for them once a week with some things I already have on hand. The cats are getting milk from the cow & the occasional raw egg. I can get organ meats and bones from the local custom butcher for free. So my feed bill went from $50/month to $15. And the animals are healthier too. I know there is a bit of controversy over feeding all raw vs. grain/cooked but we can't afford that and are doing the best we can!
The recipe I use for homemade laundry soap saves my family so much money! It make five gallons of laundry soap and we use one cup a load.
My homemade laundry soap really gets the laundry clean!
I have the recipe on my blog with a picture tutorial, if you would like to add it to your post.
Another thing that really saves money is cloth menstrual pads and cloth wipes.
We use the cloth wipes instead of toilet paper. You might want to mention on your post about how it can save money.
I do sell cloth wipes and pads for those who can't make them themselves at my blogspot store - http://www.homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/
Michele at Urban Homesteader
Wow, so many great ideas. Mulching is a great way to reduce garbage and help your garden thrive. I like to reuse as much as I can - ie: clean mayo jars and PB jars to store bulk spices. Garage sales, thrift stores, I can everything, dehydrating, forage for "freebies" such as wild fruits and berries - strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, choke cherries, plums, apples, dandylions, ect. I'm relocating closer to work to save wear and tear on my truck along with gas $$$. We have a small store that sells slightly damaged canned goods, soaps, TP, cerials, ect for CHEAP. Buy on sale and getting extra at that time. Use coupons (sadly nobody here doubles) when able, along with many of the ideas already listed. What a great idea!!!
Mama Duke at Humble Beginnings
We do several things to save money. Here's a short list.
1. Consolidate trips into town to save on gas $$.
2. Cook and bake from scratch as much as possible.
3. Make our own body wash from cheap shampoo. Pour shampoo into larger, empty body wash container, add half that amount of water and pour in epsom salts (about 4 TBSP). I put the lid on and shake it all up. For the container, I use an old baby shampoo bottle w/ a pump on it. It costs me about $.96 for a huge bottle of body wash compared to $3-$4 for a small bottle.
4. I make our own wipes as well by cutting a roll of paper towels in half, putting each half in a huge coffee tin. I fill up a small pot with water, add some baby oil or glycerin, a little bit of baby soap and let it come to a boil. Once it boils, I take it off the heat, let it cool down and then pour it over the papertowels. Once those cool down, I put the lids on.
5. Garden, garden, garden and can, can, can. For what I don't grow in the garden, I'll buy at farmer's markets or go to a local "pick your own" farm and then can those items.
6. I also can our venison and chickens (when they go on sale). This cuts down on what's in the freezer.
7. I make meatless meals about 2x a week. And, those meals that we do have meat, there's usually leftovers for lunch the next day. In fact, we usually eat all leftovers for lunch the next day.
8. I buy items in bulk when they're on sale. I also find it's cheaper for me to buy laundry soap locally than to pay for the shipping on the Fels Naptha (which isn't sold here locally). Shipping is getting expensive.
9. I always buy flour, sugar, oil and butter when I go to the store so that I always have some on hand. Always...without exception.
10. My hubby gets paid weekly and I get paid every 2 weeks. Regardless of how much gas is in the vehicles, we fill up every week. Sometimes I only put in $20 worth of gas but I know it's always full and never worry about it (plus it's a mental thing that I'm spending less on gas). It's weird, but it helps.
11. I make all of our household cleaners using peroxide, vinegar or baking soda. I have a bottle of ammonia that I also use to make an "every day" cleaner. It's lasted me more than a year.
12. We use baking soda to brush our teeth. In fact, our children now think toothpaste tastes funny.
13. I now buy "store brand" items at the grocery store instead of the "name brand". Although I despise the store brand as the quality's not as good, it's cheaper.
Anissa at I love my Husband
Great advice so far, ladies! This was a wonderful idea for everyone to learn from each other.
My two cents:
~Learn to make your own bread
~Stop using your dryer. If you have a small yard here's a great space-saving clothes line: http://www.sunshine-dryer.com/
~Make your own spice blends at home. There are tons of recipes out there to make your own chili powder, Italian Seasoning, etc. We all pay an arm & a leg for those little McCormik bottles of spices. If I can save $3 just by blending spices I already have in my cabinet then I'll do it! Here's the food website I use all the time to find those recipes: http://www.recipezaar.com/
~THRIFT SHOPS are the bomb for year-round savings! Garage sales are wonderful seasonal savings (where I live). Swallow your pride & start saving. Anyone with children at home with save a bundle on children's clothing at thrift shops. Childrens clothes can cost just as much as adults sometimes depending on the age of the child.
~Think outside the box. The hardest part for me has been to rethink how I was trained as a child to do things. Just because mom always did something a certain way doesn't mean that that was the best or cheapest way.
~Measure out your dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, etc. I have a 1/3 cup measuring cup on my dryer I use to measure out my soap every time. It's just too easy to dump in way too much soap into my washing machine. The same goes for my dish washer. I measure out 2 T. into each compartment.
~Read "The Tightwad Gazette". Check with your local library & they may be able to borrow it through the inter-library loan system.
***Thanks!!!!!! You guys are so great, these tips are wonderful and I know that they will be an asset to the readers here at HSB!***
From my Homestead to yours...
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger My Cup Runneth Over at Heritage Acres Farm
Join us on the Front Porch to talk about anything and everything that has to do with homesteading! Catch up on the latest news at HomesteadBlogger. Chat with our Front Porch Team as they blog about their favorite topics. The Front Porch is the heart of our community. Make yourself right at home!
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas. With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. 
Hello to all our faithful readers... Well, I asked and you supplied. Here is a gathering of all the Christmas Gift Giving Ideas you shared with me... as more come in, I will try and add to this post.
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.
