What did you do to save $ today?

[freemotion]

Don't try the lilac water.....nasty! Smells more like cooked leaves than lilacs, although nothing browned or burnt in the pan.....no wonder it's not available on the market. But the method was good, so if I ever end up with lots of rose petals or lavender blossoms, I'd do it again.

Got the last of the gardens covered in compost, just gotta dig it in now, I have a few more days until planting is safe. Got all my hand washables done and on the line. No dry cleaning here, just dh's suits. I buy most of my clothing so cheaply, if it doesn't survive hand washing, I don't want it anyways.....dry cleaning will cost more than the garment did, usually, and all those chemicals! Just the occasional wool dress coat gets dry cleaned.

Off to get a load of free bricks to replace some rotting landscape timbers around the foundation plantings and one raised bed near the driveway.

Free is good!

 

[big brown horse]

I made freemotion's canned cat food recipe. I tried it out on kitty and he ate it like he was eating a chocolate cream pie! I will post the nitty grittys on the thread for her homemade catfood recipes.

THANKS FREEMOTION!! KITTY LIKES!

 

[FarmerChick]

save money?????????????????

yikes!

rain means dryer---I wish real summer would come, just come on!!!

my "mini" vacation cost more than I thought...yikes, prices???? kill me ok but I like fun still...LOL

save money is great, doing it is hard........HA HA

best way, is dont' spend, but I need to live life and the stupid life costs money sometimes

 

[DrakeMaiden]

No kidding. Life is expensive these days.

I had the worst thought last night about how if I didn't keep animals and I didn't tend a garden . . . man, think of all that money I would have to throw around! Of course, on the flip side, I would probably be miserable without my animals and plants.

Edited for lazy punctuation faux pas.

 

[FarmerChick]

No kidding. Life is expensive these days.

I had the worst thought last night about how if I didn't keep animals and I didn't tend a garden . . . man, think of all that money I would have to throw around! Of course, on the flip side, I would probably be miserable without my animals and plants.

Edited for lazy punctuation faux pas.

Yea life costs...especially if you "want a little something" extra.

But it means working more hours to afford more things.....I draw the line and that keeps "money spending" in check.....(maybe..HA HA)

 

[DrakeMaiden]

LOL My problem is that the little extras I want are also labor intensive. (Oh, just a few more cute little ducklings for instance -- read "food gobbler$" and messy little mess makers). I guess that means that I'm burning the candle on both ends.

 

[freemotion]

I save money by feeding all my critters who eat grain WHOLE grains, bought (as much as possible) with only one middleman between me and the farmer, and sometimes even directly from the farmer....although most of today's farmers don't really want to take the time from their busy days to sell me half a dozen bags of grain at a time when they can sell it by the truckload, and I don't blame them. I mix it myself. My birds are very productive, and extremely healthy. I love it when someone tells me I will kill my chickens and turkeys and guineas if I feed them whole grains!

I save money in the warmer months (squirrel season) by not filling the hanging feeders, but by tossing out grain on the ground, just what they will clean up in a few minutes. This cuts consumption in half in weather warm enough for bugs and worms. Consumption was up in the warmer weather before I caught on to the squirrels.....now, this year, older and wiser, the squirrel population has dropped rather dramatically. Rarely see one, in fact.

I try to buy hay directly from the farmer, too. Not always possible in suburbia. My local guy retired, my second local guy only makes grass hay, as horses are the primary market here. I need alfalfa mix for my goaties....

And I pick everything I can glean for everyone, reducing need for purchased feeds.

Dogs and cats, as y'all know, also get the best, premium homemade diet for a fraction of the cost of commercial food.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

My ducks eat whole grains too, but they are pre-mixed into feed and I buy it from a feed store. I won't buy the processed stuff. It would be hard to find a grain farmer in my area . . . it is hard to grow grains here. I have grown a few, but not on a very large-scale. I would have to travel a bit to find any grain farmers. Same with straw/hay. My region is definitely not known for agricultural products. We cut our field grass and use it as straw supplement and that works fine.

My ducks are really good about eating free-rangables this time of year, so my feed costs go way down, but with more birds on the way, I'm getting a little anxious.

I have considered joining a coop that ships to my area. It wouldn't be cost effective unless I spend a lot of money, but I might be at that tipping point.

 

[big brown horse]

DrakeMaiden,

When you say you want to join a coop is that chickens or ducks?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

There is a big coop out of Oregon that ships to our area. They carry natural and organic foods (for people) and also organic chicken feed as well as things like field fencing, etc. Their prices are reasonable and better than you can get in any stores, but you have to make a large enough order to warrant them shipping to you. I've thought about going in with people who also are interested in organic foods, but understandably it can be hard to get enough interested and motivated people together. There is an effort going on to start a coop store in Bremerton, but I haven't heard anything lately from the people trying to organize it . . . I think they figured we weren't interested.