What did you do to save $ today?

[Dace]

Freemotion, you are much further along on the path than I am I still do not buy most things in bulk.

If you are making all of your own personal grooming and cleaning supplies then maybe coupons would not help but if you buy any of that (including pain & cold meds) then it maybe worth holding onto your coupons!

There are also just the two of us, so the workload in doing everything from scratch is not as much as with a family. I work part-time, sort of, so that gives me blocks of time that I did not always have. So I am not criticising anyone, just bragging a bit! It was like a snowball rolling downhill and picking up size and momentum, once I started, I kept moving forward, and I enjoy it so much. Food is SOOO much better from scratch, and now that I am no longer chained to all the advertising hype and bad nutrition info out there. Just real, old-fashioned food like great-grandma used to make....well, still working on that, read about my cheese failure on another thread!

I rarely get sick anymore, I can usually fight off the viruses with a couple of days of mild symptoms. I only get really sick when I am under extreme stress, and it has been an extremely stressful month, so here I am, taking cold meds. We buy a bottle every 2-3 years, this was the year!

That's why I say over and over that real nutrition is a basic ss "skill." And basic financial management, too, especially when one is self-employed and has to take time off to be sick! Aaaarrrgh!

You have every right to brag! That is actually a huge accomplishment and I am sure it is very time consuming.

I try to grow a lot in my garden and we will have our own fresh eggs this year....I would really like to do more from scratch, dinners I do pretty good with...well better than the average anyway, but snacks and breakfast kill me. I am always on the go with 4 kids in 3 different schools and involved in multiple sports, activities and jobs.
I think you are doing fantastic and I love what you have to share!

 

[freemotion]

Oh, that makes my day, Dace!!

 

[TanksHill]

I agree!!!

 

[freemotion]

That is a picture of my head swelling....

 

[me&thegals]

Oh--I completely agree, Freemotion! I think food really IS medicine! Kudos to you for doing so well at it

Now, I have to buzz over to your thread about turkeys, since my husband actually blurted out the "T" word today!

 

[Homesteadmom]

Freemotion, I really agree with you on this one too. Since we started eating more natural & organic foods we have not been really sick in 2 yrs. A little cold here & there. DD who is fixin to turn 3 in May has not had anything other than a cold & not needed any antibiotics at all. Both sons by her age had had ear infections & meds already. So glad we started switching over. I think the fresh ground wheat plays a big part in that too. And most of my cooking is all from scratch too.

 

[freemotion]

It does indeed make a difference!!

Today, to save $$, I started a new veggie garden, my third. Bleu-bleu and Goldie (favorite hens) helped by being underfood and dashing for any worms I turned up. I did just a fraction of the plot I paced out in my pasture, 11 x 13 paces, each pace maybe a bit under 3'? I mosey'd. I added two wheelbarrows of compost. I bought some more seeds and finally did my seed inventory and made the final list, gotta order if there are any left! While at the discount store, I found some grapes that looked in good shape, one year plants, and that was on my list as well. They weren't the type I'd planned on, but at $6.99 each, I got two plants and figured if all went well, I can get the ones I wanted next year and use the cheaper ones to learn on. In case I kill them.....Got some onion sets, too, at half what I would've ordered them for, and 8 packets of seeds that were on my list for half price, too. And some more washcloths to make feminine products for a couple of friends to try. Does saving $ for others count, too?

 

[gettinaclue]

I hung out two loads of clothes, opened the windows to let the sun and the breeze in, gave hair cuts to DH and DS, and instead of ordering out, made homemade pizza.

 

[freemotion]

Home haircuts save a LOT of money!!! I trade for ours, which is just as good. No, better for us. I'd do a lousy job, and dh wouldn't be allowed near my head with a pair of scissors! Ahhh, spring air is sooooo nice, too!

I've been bringing Mya and the baby out to the pasture every day for a few minutes or more, weather permitting. She won't stay out there to eat without me, since we got her in late December, so it seems SOOO far from her safe, familiar barn. I want her to get used to the green, growing grass so she can eat it full time SOON.

Opened the last sack of "lawn hay" for the turkeys, who don't get out yet. The chickens won't eat it now that they have access to grass. But the turkeys are going through it like crazy, so I will definitely be repeating that successful experiment again this summer.

Finished all the incontinence supplies for one friend, still have one friend to supply, then a couple of others to introduce to home-made feminine products.

 

[gettinaclue]

Home haircuts do save a lot!

I started cutting DS right after his first haircut. His first and only proofessional haircut was 12.00!!!! 12.00 for a 1 1/2 year old. I swore never again.

It's taken me a year to talk DH into letting me cut his hair and I finally got to do it! He was very happy with it! I'm feeling rather smug now I must admit ;D.

I cut DD last month. Everyone's hair grows fast in my family except for mine. So we are racking up on the savings!

KA-CHING!!!!

Also, I'm starting to talk to DH again about goats. . He seems to be listening, especially after I told him about some of the things on this forum.

:bunn