Suggestions for making it through hard times - add some, no whining!

[lady chicken whisperer]

Quote:
Haha my parents do the same thing. My dad calls it "Shoppin' Day"

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I mark EVERYTHING with the open/start date, using a perm marker. By knowing that the clothes det. last me 39 days, that the dry dog food will last 22days and that the tp last for 8days I can avoid running out of things before the next trip. When ever I buy a new/different product I make a note in my desk calender of when I start, the size of the container and if we had excess company thru the use of said items. It helps when comparing different brands of the same produce..

 

[Laskaland]

Quote:
What a great opportunity. If the Amish are not the most self-sufficient group of folks, I don't know who is!

 

[Laskaland]

Quote:
Haha my parents do the same thing. My dad calls it "Shoppin' Day"

We call it dumpster diving! We go to the dump occassionally when we need wood. I was able to help built a shelter for the skid loader all from wood from the dump! It's amazing what people throw out

Also, have you visited a GoodWill or Salvation Army lately? Wow, I have found some nice brand name clothes there for the kids lately. And since I can sew, I can hem stuff or pretty up jeans for my 6 year old... It's like a scavenger hunt and kind of fun. And a FRACTION of cost!!

GREAT ideas
Christina

 

[65browneyes]

I discovered years ago the glories of a nice clothesline. If I use it ONE weekend for laundry for the 4 of us, it knocks $30 off my electricity bill that month.

I've never been much of a 'green-thumb' type (they're more like black/purple at best), but I've been dumping all the coffee grinds, potatoe peels, egg shells, etc in the garden spot. Hoping to build up some nice soil and have a decent garden this year. (If I can keep the gophers and chipmunks out of it, that is)

DH and DS brought in deer and elk this year, so the freezers are FULL of meat. Been stocking up on great sales on canned beans, etc.

Bread machine's earning it's keep again. No more Nabisco buying for this mama. We're back to cookies from scratch (maybe.......LOL!!).

Lots of great ideas here and I know what I've added is all repeats, but had to throw it in anyway.

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions!!

 

[bargain]

Buy aluminum foil instead of plastic wrap. You can use and reuse aluminum foil,,,,wash it in top rack of dishwasher or by hand.

Use less soap than manufacturer recommends. We use 1/2 the soap for the dishwasher and also the washing machine. It still cleans well and creates less of a toxic trail

Find a "scratch and dent" store. Shop carefully. I am able to get flour for $1 for the wonderful Bob Mill's flour, etc., etc. There are some things you don't want to get there, but for the most part great deals.

Get a "cash back" card at CVS when you buy certain things they are free ....giving you a store credit - CVS rewards.

Think NEED not want......Think about how long it took to work to buy something and would you still be using it 2-3 years from now.

Ask your dump if they would put out a "give - take " table. I've found clothes, canning jars, toys and books there - even a brand new christmas tree....I regularly put things there as well.

Keep your car if its running. Buy used cars after mechanical check

Okay I may need to want to go to the movies....I cannot afford it....I may then just want to "checkout" a film at a library....

Think family oriented entertainment. Board games, charades.....these are the memories of my childhood...GOod ones.

Know when your grocery puts out marked down meats.

Go to Coupon mom for organizing coupons for all the different geographic areas.

Join a freecycle group from yahoo and post your items you no longer need there

That's it!

 

[Rosalind]

Haircuts: I grew my hair super-long, it's hip length now. This sounds counterintuitive, but very long hair doesn't need washing nearly as often as short hair. I trim out some split ends about once a month, and it gets washed once a week with shampoo (recipe below) and rinsed with apple cider vinegar. The rest of the week it is kept in a braid or a bun, slicked down with aloe vera gel mixed with almond oil and perfume oil. It's much MUCH cheaper than getting regular haircuts and using fancy-shmancy hair products, it looks very professional (OK, a little librarian-ish, but there's nothing wrong with that), and it takes about 5 minutes to braid in the morning.

shampoo
1/3 bar homemade soap, grated fine
2 tbsp. aloe leaf puree (from aloe plant in kitchen)
1 cup strong rosemary tea (other herbs probably work fine, I just like the smell of rosemary)
1 big pinch benzoin gum (preservative, although grapefruit seed extract, a smashed-up zinc vitamin tablet, etc. probably work OK too)
1 tbsp. agar (vegetarian jello substitute from the Asian market--thickener, you can use hydroxyethylcellulose from the soap suppliers if you prefer)
1 c. water

Dissolve the soap in the hot herb tea. Add the aloe gel and mix till blended. Mix the agar into the water and microwave until the agar melts, about 1 minute. Watch carefully, as the agar will boil quickly. Pour the melted agar mix into the soap/tea mix and swirl until blended. Add the benzoin or preservative of choice and mix til dissolved. Let cool and store in the decorative bottle of choice. Makes 1 pint, enough for at least 2 months. Costs about $1/pint to make.


Other stuff: Soda is really bad for you. It wrecks your bones and your teeth, nasty stuff, and then it's expensive too. Much cheaper and healthier is iced tea. Yes, I am a sick sick Northern Yankee and I drink my iced tea unsweetened, but it's still cheaper to drink homemade tea. Especially herb tea from mint that's grown in your own yard. Only red meat we eat is venison, because a $100 hunting license with all the various tags and stamps works out to about $0.30/lb in deer meat. Fishing license costs about $30 and works out to about $0.75/fish over the season.

 

[dacjohns]

Come on over to SufficientSelf.

 

[Hen'nbiddies]

When my kids were at home and hungry for snacks they knew they could always get a bowl of cereal and milk. (Some liked to eat the cereal like crackers, dry) It was easier on the budget than cookies and ice cream and a whole lot healthier!

 

[hoosier]

Quote:
Someone on SufficientSelf was asking for a shampoo recipe.