Please post your best money saving/making idea

[savingdogs]

What with the economy, I must not be the only one pinching pennies.
Can I start a post for folks to share their best tip?

I have a backyard flock of 19.... Buff Orpingtons, RIR and Russian orloffs, one orp roo. I will have lots more eggs than I need. I'm currently feeding Purina flock raiser. We are not particularly interested in paying for organic feeds and have access to natural forage (we are not in the city).

My husband and I are interested in sustainable living and wonder what type of cover crops have worked well for people and were healthful for the chickens later. We wouldn't mind raising the omega levels but have heard this can make the eggs taste funny?

But overall, what money saving tips do you have to share, especially along the line of good health vs. feeding something cheap. People might pay more for Omega eggs...

Thanks so much for all the help from the experts! So much to learn here at BYC.

 

[helloroe]

I am so anxious to see what everyone says.

We are new to chickens and our neighbors are currently all interested in the girls so we gave each a bucket (recycled large tub) with what is good and not good for the girls taped to the side. They bring over their "scraps" for the girls and we leave a bucket next to the coop door they dump them into so the girls get a variety of treats each day. This is also helping them all feel involved.

 

[Sitka]

Look around and find things around the house that you don't really want or use anymore and sell on craigslist or at a garage sale. We have sold about $500 worth of stuff this year. It helps.

 

[digitS']

The hens like the blackoil sunflower and foxtail millet seed I grow for them in the garden. I've also grown wheat for the hens.

Probably a good pasture mix would provide about the best forage. Your local extension office could advise you on grass and legume choices for your area.

Steve

 

[HEChicken]

I don't know if this counts....I am growing vegetables for the family, not the chooks, but since I don't want to use herbicide and the seedlings get eaten without it, each night and morning DH and I go out and physically remove the caterpillars and beetles that we find on the vegies, and feed those to the chooks. Cuts down slightly on the amount of food we need to buy PLUS enables us to end up with fresh vegies.

 

[onthespot]

I asked my sister to move out and I figure I am about three or four hundred dollars ahead now that she is gone. Groceries, utilities, WAY less with her gone.

 

[kelliepulido]

i have been buying my chicken feed,straw and wild bird food from the grainery way cheaper than the local tsc.I can buy 100lbs of layer mash for 13.50.and 2$ bale of straw.I have been using the straw instead of the pine chips which were 5.80 per big bag and takes 3 on the coop floor and only 1 straw bale

 

[chickon baby]

Other than the obvious of having the chickens for our eggs and a huge garden that I can from,I also barter.My neighbor and I trade.My tomatoes were beautiful but my cilantro n hot peppers were not,his garden was the opposite and we traded.Ive made over 60 qts of salsa.These will be used in gift baskets and for my family.I also trade, I'll babysitting for sewing talent,with another friend Ive traded haircuts for babysitting.I also have done dog sitting and house watching for extra $$$$. Neighbors and friends save the coupons that are left after they clip what they want.I do spend quite a bit of time cutting coupons and going through ads,its worth it.Last week my groc total was $150.00 then after cpns I paid out of pocket $ 25.00.The secret to saving w/cpns is to only buy it when its on sale and buy many.This past week they had coffee on sale and when you bought 1 coffee you got a large box of cheerios for free.I bought 3 coffees and got 3 free boxes of ceral.They also had a store cpn for $3.00 off 2 pkgs of dog treats.I bought 10 bags of treats for $2.37 which I had a $1.00 manufacture cpn for and the store takes both,so 2.37x10=23.70 minus 10.00 in mnfctur cpn, minus $15.00 store cpn;total free..The other thing was free bananas with mutigrain cheerios,they were on sale for $2.77 and I had $1.00 cpn,plus free bananas..Breakfast this week??? cheerios w/bananas or eggs!! Big tip!!if they are out,get a rain check.Many stores take manufacture cpns along w/store cpns.Buy ONLY what your family will eat/use etc.Buy alot and stock up.My family is not picky abt brands and that helps..You can put cereal,pancake mix,flour,sugar,coffee and alot of other things in the freezer to help keep it fresh,if you buy more than youll use in a mos.(you can freeze cheese, coffee creamer n even milk)...Laundry soaps,razors,shampoo's and those things you can sore in the basement.The ony thing my boys are picky abt is deodorant..Target had a 2 pk of degree for $1.25 on clearanceI had a $1.25 cpn...I had 10 cpns and got 10 pkgs for free..Im stocked for now..they had secret as well but I only had $1.00 cpn,shuks..i paid a quarter for a twin pk..This week walgreens has mens razors for 3.99,after you pay it prints out a $4.00 cpn off your next purchase,each of us got 1 and I will save all those to use on my total order at another time.They do expire so watch the dates.Always check the service desk,they have cpns there,watch the ads,buy multiple and trade w/friends,give to the church for food drives,house warming baskets etc.A friend of mine is having $$$ troubles and she needed some groc,so she told me what she needed and I had it all on hand.I love helping people with the bargains.Yes you can still eat healthy and save.The end of each season is good bargain shopping;ie;citronells candles,pool floaties (use thenmnext yr for kids b-day party gifts.I just got a $30.00 floatie/raft for $2.00.check the ads!!! hope these ideas help.happy bargain shopping.

 

[chickiedoodle]

I like bartering. I have a friend who is a hairstylist and I give her eggs every week and she cuts and highlights my hair every couple months. I could never afford to have my hair done before, and she likes having organic free-range eggs so we are both happy

 

[Beed]

I work at a bakery and my boss saves left over bread in walk in fridge for me and the guy who owns seafood shop next door (he has chickens too). It is a nice treat for my girls. I also get left overs from our local produce market. They throw out many good things that won't sell-the outer leaves of leafy greens, peppers w/ bad spots that can be cut off, soft tomatoes...the list goes on. I recycle everything. I turn aluminum cans in and collect scrap metal. Last month we took a truck load to the scrap yard and came out w/ $130 bucks!!!