Archive for the ‘Frugal Living’ Category
Frugal Friday – Inexpensive Nesting Boxes
Starting off with chickens, but don’t want to spend the money to make nesting boxes? Not to worry.
Empty cat litter buckets make the perfect little home for hens who like the comfort and security of enclosed spaces. Just wash the bucket with warm soapy water before attaching to the coop wall. Be sure to save the lid as well. Cut and attach it to the bucket to keep in all the nesting material.
There you have it. Money saved. Hens happy. And, one less plastic going into the landfill.
Frugal Friday – Spice it Up
Spice mixes like grill seasonings and rib rubs might seem like a good buy because they contain a lot of spices you would have to buy individually, but check the label first before you buy. Predictably the first ingredient you will see is salt followed by a few vague ‘herbs and spices’, then a raft of preservatives and artificial stuff. You’ll probably be surprised to discover how many herbs you already have in your pantry. Many cookbooks include recipes for mixes, and of course there is always the internet. The best thing about making your own, aside from saving a fortune, is that you can customize each mix to fit your own tastes.
To get you started, check out our Mix It Up post for a short collection of make-your-own-mixes.
Frugal Friday – Water, a Precious Resource
We hardly think about the amount water (or other liquids) wasted each time we dump a glass of ice, a partial glass of tea, or a pot of water from cooking and canning. Even emptying the glasses from the dinner table will surprise you. To save this precious resource, keep a pitcher near the kitchen sink as a collection pot for all that liquid, then use it on potted plants. Careful, though, hot water should be cooled completely before using on plants.
You’ll be amazed at how much you collect on a daily basis.
Frugal Friday – Keeping Kitchen Sponges Fresh
Warm summer weather can make kitchen sponges smell worse than a locker room full of old socks. To keep them fresh and bacteria free put kitchen sponges in the dishwasher each time you run it. It will sanitize the sponge, extend the life of the sponge and save you a bunch in replacing them more often than needed.
INTRODUCING — Frugal Friday
That’s right, folks! Suburban Homesteading is launching a NEW section!
Frugal Friday will be jam packed with useful and cost saving tips, tricks and tidbits on how to make your homestead more frugal, saving your precious financial resources.
From kitchen to garden and into the barn these tips will help make your home, and life, more cost effective and a lot simpler. But, not to worry, our suggestions will enhance your life rather than confine your spirit, trust me.
So let’s start this off right by changing our thinking about what it means to be frugal. Stop thinking of how deprived you are going to be, or how much you’ll have to cut back or sacrifice because frugality is not about deprivation. It’s all about re-directing your financial resources into YOUR pocket rather than the pocket of someone else.
Check in this Friday for the launch of Frugal Friday. Check back each Friday for the latest in frugal living tips and reap the rewards.
Frugal Living: 17 Ways to Cut Holiday Spending
It’s November and many have their eyes set on Christmas; the parties, the outings, the gift giving, the food. With the economy still so uncertain and many still without jobs this season may have the air of being a not so merry holiday.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way. With some careful planning and a few creative “outside-of-the-box” ideas you and your family won’t miss the hectic fast paced rush of previous years. In fact, you may come to treasure a slower paced holiday that allows you to reflect and appreciate the true meaning of the season. Check out our 17 ideas and choose a few to incorporate into your celebration this year, and make it through the holidays without breaking the bank or your spirit. Read the rest of the story »
The Power of a Dollar
Every so often I go on a rampage of frugality. It’s more like a feeling of sickness, a sickness of spending money, sick of the cost of things, sick of pulling out my wallet everywhere I turn, sick of how a dollar doesn’t go as far as it use to. Just plain sick. This past week has been one of those times as the cost gas, water and food increasing almost on a daily basis fills my subconscious.
On the way home from work I swung by the library to peruse their daily used book sale to see if I could find any interesting title additions to my growing library. As I walked the stacks those money infused thoughts crept to the forefront. It drew me to think how and when and where money flitters away. It’s not a great amount, mind you. I’m already a fairly frugal, penny pinching saver, always trying to find new ways to spend less on what the farm and I need. As I drew my hand over the books looking for titles that would interest me it came to me…for a buck I could buy a book, a book that would educate me or entertain me. I stood there staring, thinking really, about how many things I have or could buy with a buck. It was amazing to me that in a short period of time I could list more that a dozen things I have bought that were only a buck.
There was the trip to my favorite ethnic market where the produce is plentiful and the prices reasonable and I could buy…
2 pounds of carrots
5 grapefruit
A string of garlic
3 heads of lettuce
4 pounds of onions
1 cantaloupe
¼ pound of Feta cheese
Or, 1-1/2 pounds of chicken quarters, for a buck.
Then there was the thrift store sale where I bought a new pair of shorts and a few more clay pots for vegetable or flower starts, for a buck.
During a trip to town running errands for work I bought an iced tea to stave off the heat…for a buck.
At a garage sale I bought a galvanized water trough, for a buck.
On Craigslist, I bought iris bulbs, for my ever expanding flower garden, two bags for a buck.
I can also buy two stamps, a fat-quarter of sale quilt fabric, salt licks for rabbits, a scoop of grit for chickens, and a few dog treats, for a buck.
At the library that day I bought a 4-part mini-series, for a buck.
And, of course…a book.
It was proof positive that the dollar has more buying power than I sometimes think. It was nice to sit and reflect on how many things can (or have) been purchased for a dollar. The more I reflected, the more my frugal rampage dissipated, until finally it disappeared all together. Funny how some worries retreat as fast as they come on.
What can you buy for a buck? It’s out there ya know. We only have to look.
Holiday Gifting
Ready or not, the holiday gift giving season is well on its way. But, instead of fighting the stores, dealing with overworked or angry salespeople why not give gifts from local farmers or crafts people? Farmers Markets and Farm Stands provide the gift giver with a wide array of fruits, meats, honey, flowers and farm items that can be made into attractive gift baskets. Local craft fairs showcase hand-made items from area artists and crafts people.
And, with LocalHarvest outlets and CSA’s you can give fresh made cheese and baked goods, homemade soaps and canned goods, or wool, yarn and spinning supplies. Check out the more than 10,000 farm products in the LocalHarvest store.
Better yet, give the gift that keeps on giving…give a chicken.
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