Just curious who else is living super frugal

[kuntrygirl]

i will look for the french toast casserole  recipe. That sounds like something they would like.  Thanks for the cereal bar recipe. They do like that sort of thing. We are forever busy so the older ones even like something quick and filling. We all have farm chores first thing and then its school so breakfast is squished in there somewhere.

I have been getting somethings off ebay too. More and more are offering free shipping and still the prices are reasonable. I got dance shoes for my daughter for $10 with free shipping. They sell for 40 AND I have to drive 1.5 hours locally. It really was a win win situation for me. Its just very hit and miss and I need to think ahead to what we need to get those deals which is not always easy.

You mentioned cereal bar recipe, so I wanted to mention to you that I made 2 pans of home made granola bars and they were delicious. I made a total of 25 squares. I froze them and I take them out when I want one. They were so good. All natural products and it's so much cheaper than buying the expensive bars in the store. You put in whatever ingredients you prefer (almonds, flax seed, raisins, craisins, apricots, honey, pumpkin seeds, etc.)

 

[Raiquee]

Heather here are just a few make ahead meals. The refrigerator oatmeal sounds soooo yummy.

Refrigerator oatmeal
http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal

Pancake fruit rolls
http://onceamonthmom.com/raspberry-and-cream-pancake-rolls/

Fruity breakfast burritos
http://onceamonthmom.com/fruity-breakfast-burritos/

 

[erinszoo]

Made use of the 12 bags of cranberries that I had in the freezer from last thanksgiving today. We bought them for 49 cents each not knowing what we might use them for and today we made them into our own cranberry apple juice with all the free apples we're getting. It cost me more to get the jars to can it in than it did for the ingredients. AND the chickens and turkeys loved the leftover pulp and skins from them. I love using every bit of what food I have and not letting anything go to waste which is so much easier with chickens in my life it seems.

 

[newfoundland]

Your experiences Erinzoo, seem very similar to mine, although we are half the world apart geographically. I feel fortunate now that i remember the ways to stretch out food because times are once more tough for us all.

I have recently read in the newspapers that parents are regularly going without a meal to feed their children and I never expected to hear that in my lifetime again! During world war 2, a very famous English chef called Marguerrite Pattern, was employed by the then ministry of food to tour the country giving tips and cookery demonstrations to help people learn how to manage on so little and yet still provide essential nutrients for their families.

Why can't we have the same again? My children for instance, have grown up in a time of plenty and are having to learn the skills of stretching a budget for the first time. I would welcome the idea of free cookery demos and budgetting tips. What do you all think?

 

[mickey328]

I feel very fortunate to have been raised by my grandparents, who lived through the rationing and leaner times of the early 1900's. Because of that they were very practical and used everything as much as could be done. They rarely ever replaced anything; they just found a way to repair it or simply "make do".

It's tough in these days of "disposability" and "instant" everything and folks who were raised on that sort of thing have really lost the art and the interest in anything that's "diy".

I'm constantly amazed ant people who are agog at the idea of making jam or bread or cooking a whole meal. They seem to think if it can't be zapped in a microwave, it's some sort of "wonder thing" LOL They don't seem to realize that you actually can do a lot of things yourself if you're willing to learn and put in the time and effort.

When I was about 3, my grandparents bought and moved to a fishing camp up in northern Ontario...there was no electricity and we had a pump in the kitchen sink for water. We took our weekly bath in a round galvanized tub in the kitchen next to the wood stove...and not only survived but thrived! It was a more labor intensive life but I think I'm the better for it.

 

[cntrywmnkw]

Love the thread, great ideas. I too have been cutting back on going to the market or town as often. When I do have to go, I try to make 1 trip & get all my errands done in one trip to save on gas. I've been making my own spaghetti sauce for years, I make my own bread & noodles, I have chickens, a sumer & winter garden, I can most everything from the garden, mend clothes & if can't be mended anymore, I cut clothes up for quilts & repurpose everything I can. That old adage, Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without is now my credo. When I do go to the market, I try & get extras of my basics & store them, I freeze milk, butter & flour.

 

[MamaRoo]

Making jars and jars of jam from fruit from the neighbors' trees. Many (most) people around here don't use their fruit, and they're just as happy to have someone take it and keep it off their lawn. Got most of the jars I'm using from posting on facebook asking friends if they had extras they weren't using.

 

[mickey328]

It definitely takes more effort to be more frugal and self sufficient but IMO it's soooo worth it! You're spending less money and foods just taste so much better and are so much healthier without all the preservatives and such.

Our local Craig's list has a wealth of free fruit this time of year...all you need is to go pick it. Seems most folk here don't do anything with their fruit either...they just don't know what they're missing, do they?

 

[EweSheep]

Or they just don't have the time to pick LOL!

 

[annabananaandfamily]

Soooo, I fell off the frugal wagon for a little while. Opted for stuff that was mroe convenient than smart. But I think its time for me to get back on the wagon. I don't know that its necessarily "frugal" I am aiming for, as much as "homey". I want to know how to bake bread, grow my own veggies, can things I have grown etc etc. I have made a couple of really simple little dresses for my youngest daughters, and would really like to learn more and make them some more. I would like to be able to teach them to do all those things themselves too. The trick is I have to learn it all first! HEHE!! But I am trying. Doing the little things I can here. Chickens for the eggs, did a few for meat this summer, and of course they are GREAT for just the enjoyment of them Make my own liquid laundry detergent with a recipe someone posted here a while back. Use way more rags than paper towels now. Make my own pasta. I have to learn how to bake my own bread next. I have tried before, but not had any luck. Bought a little bread maker at a yardsale and it works great, but makes tiny little loaves! There's 6 of us in this family, the loaves from that maching barely fill 2 of us We downsized to one vehicle last christmas and only regret that choice slightly (with kids going in every direction, it really would be nice to have a 2nd vehicle!) but we will deal with the 1 just fine. Love reading the different ideas and thoughts here!