# Saving Real Money on the Homestead



## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

After spending nearly a year turning what was once our BOL into a thriving homestead I thought I would try and provoke some "Food for thought" and ways to save real money that we have been practicing for varying amounts of time.

Every homesteader is looking for a way to prep up, save more money (for more preps) and make money go further in a tightening economy. There are many things we have been practicing for some time and some things we have just ventured into, that allow us to have a lot more for a lot less.
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Buying Meat*: We raise beef and pork here on the homestead but won't be reaping the benefit until this coming year with our own animal butchering (other than chickens and rabbits). For a long time now we have been buying our meat from a local butcher who raises his own beef and pork or buys other grass fed beef from other small time growers. We can buy a side or whole beef or hog for pennies on the dollar compared to grocery chains. Beef last fall cost us $1.70 a pound (hanging weight) That included the cow, the kill bill, cut to order and vacuum wrapped and frozen for pick-up... Pork was $1.41 per pound killed, wrapped and labeled. Now keep in mind this is a side or whole animal, raised antibiotic free with out chemical feed and other additives. The roasts, steaks, ground chuck, briskets, and every other cut to order part is one price $1.70 a pound for beef. Try to buy Rib Eyes at your grocery store for under $6.00 a pound. Real savings equals more food for less money.

*Paper Products:* We simply no longer buy any paper products, Toilet Paper is now soft re-useable cloth wipes (can be dampened and used as a wet wipe) Paper Towels are just nice dish cloths or rags for cleanups. Napkins are flannel sheets cut into squares and hemmed on the sewing machine... No more waste, no more $1.00 or more per roll for a good paper towel. Thinking outside the box and doing things a different but better way are the real secrets to money saving.

*3 acres of crops + orchard:* There are no seeds purchased here(all old heirlooms), there is no fertilizer purchased here and we can produce huge amounts of food. More than we can eat and the rest is given away in God's name to folks who are too old to garden. Many of you already know these things, but I see so many others still thinking the modern way, talking about buying fertilizer and seed and other things to make a garden or crop field an expensive adventure. If you are small scall gardening, just keep your grass clippings in a pile all summer, mix leaves in the fall and throw your non-meat leftovers in at all times... Before long you'll have a mountain of compost for your garden and never again worry about the soil quality.
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Cable TV / Satellite: *Gone... Long gone and the hundred or more a month in savings is only half the benefit... We are healthier, happier more family centered people now... Sitting in front of the TV watching mindlessly as this or that football team wears out another, or being caught up in the drama of a TV series that really has no effect on your life or your outcome just numbs the mind. It is a hard habit to break, but I've never heard anyone that fully walked away wish for it back. $100 to $150 a month sure would add to those preps.

*Clothing:* Buy only at Goodwill or similar places.. Don't complain about money if you are paying $40 to $80 for a pair of jeans beacuse "One brand is all that fit me right"... Every brand is available at Goodwill if you make regular stops in on your way by, Areopostle, Buckle, Wrangler, Carhart, and any others for $4.00 a pair, Hooded Nike Sweat Shirts for $1.50, kids clothes for next to nothing... And only you know where they came from if vanity is an issue. 

*Other Food:* Give up the brand name stuff and learn to like something else, or better yet... Make it yourself... Make a mix, Recipe Zaar, The Ball Blue Book just to name a few... Places like Aldi are great places to shop, the food is often manufactured and relabeled by the same brand name company you swear by. Buy fruits in season when they are cheap and can them for later, what produce you don't grow you can freeze or do with less when they aren't in season. Make big batches of Veg. Beef soup and can the leftovers for eating all winter. Save money everytime you buy anything.
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Take a list:* When you go to Wal-mart take a list, and only buy what you have on the list NOTHING ELSE.... If you see something you really want or need, write it on another list and buy it next time if you still want it or need it.. That kills impulse shopping and you'll be surprised how much comes off the want list by the next time you are ready to shop.This takes the extra hundred dollars you always spend buying things you later realize you didn't need.

These are just a few of the things we are doing to save money... Plus we spent three years getting ourselves completely out of any and all debt, so we are simply no longer slaves to the system... Who cares what people think about the things we have, the older vehicles, the scrap built doghouse or chicken coop.. We are living a simple life with out all of the worldly goods clogging our minds... Get in the dirt and grow everything you can, work hard and sweat instead of wasting time in front of a television. Take your life back from TPTB that control you with debt and wasteful spending...

Now what else do you have to add to this list, I still have plenty to learn and my eyes and ears are wide open for anything I can try and apply.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

What a great idea for discussion.

One thing that I'm wondering about - when you fry bacon, what/how do you drain the fat from it?

I know folded paper towels have been used here and when I was at Mom's growing up. Also, I've used brown paper lunch bags when I've gotten one for something. And way back in the days of paper grocery bags, they were good for three or four drainings due to cutting them to size as we/I needed them.

What do you do in these situations?


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

I use a lot of herbs when I cook. A couple of years ago I realized how ridiculous it was to pay the high prices for the herbs and started my own herb garden. I can mix up my Italian seasoning and other mixes from what I grow. I have gathered recipes for homemade dog food that as soon as my health allows I'll start making, I already make dog treats. Next week-end I will be making my first batch of goat milk soap. Like you, we have already cut out paper products with the exception of tp, but have been gathering cloth diapers for that purpose. We don't have enough land to raise pigs and cows, so instead we try to find butchers that will give us deals on a side of beef and a hog. We sell enough eggs to the guys DH works with to pay for our chicken and goat feed. We haven't had to pay out of pocket for feed or hay for them for over a year now. We also drive old vehicles, sure beats having to make car payments. We repurpose a lot of stuff around here. We have a lot of pine trees, so the pine cones are gathered and used as fire starters. I'm trying to learn how to make pinestraw baskets, without much luck yet, but I'll get it eventually.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

AngieM2 said:


> What a great idea for discussion.
> 
> One thing that I'm wondering about - when you fry bacon, what/how do you drain the fat from it?
> 
> ...


I lay them out on my bread racks with a pan underneath to catch the drippings, which I use to season things like beans, ect.


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## nathan104 (Nov 16, 2007)

Ad for taking a list to the grocery store, it is much easier to stick to it if you eat right before you go. If you are full, a lot of those splurges will be cut down.


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

About draining bacon..use a clean piece of thin cloth like muslin or cheesecloth. Then use the greased up cloth to season your ironware, or grease a griddle,or rub the rack on your outdoor grill. remember, the only part of a pig you should waste is the squeel! bee


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## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

Wow WVStuck and everyone, you all are really working hard at cutting expenses. We grow what we can but had a really strange year last year and the garden wasn't great.

Not buying paper products that you will just throw away is huge. We are down to tp. 

We bought magic jack and love it.

We are working on paying off remaining debt, this is a stepping stone to stepping off for us.

Putting a budget on paper helps me to "see" where the money is going, this visual paper helps me to stay on track. Someone once said that to be successful you need to have a plan. 

Also try writing down every thing you spend, boy will that stop you.

Great thread.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

And consider taking on livestock seriously before you get chicken or goat fever! Feed is very high anymore and you might be better off buying locally from someone else. We sell our extra eggs at the feed store and break even on the girls feed but we could just as easily buy our eggs from the others who have small flocks and sell at the feed store/farmers market. We have 30 acres improved pasture and can easily feed a steer and keep a milk cow but we can also buy excellent reasonably priced beef from a local Mennonite butcher shop and milk from local dairy. Add in a winter supply of hay and probably less expensive to buy from others! Yes, we like to have our own but we know these producers grow their products the same way we would and feel comfortable buying from them. For instance we buy organic pastured chickens from local producers. Face it, who really enjoys butchering chickens? They have the setup to do it more hygenically than we do and their chickens are delicious. Just something to consider.

Best way to save money is to stay home! We have one day for town errands and if something gets forgotten it goes on the list for next week and we make do. If you like to shop online try putting your order in the cart and waiting 24 hours and seeing whether you really want/need it! Shop at home first. You probably have something that will work. Tell people if you are looking for something. Buy what you need; want what you have is the best advice. Also think about the habits you might have...fast food stops, smoking, drinking soda, shopping for entertainment....all things that waste money with no real benefit to your life. Seen too many people in financial trouble who feel they are entitled to their treats.


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## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

I agree, a cooling rack for the bacon or sausage works as well, but I scrape the drip pan and collect what I can before wiping with a seasoning rag.

Raising chickens can be costly, we will be growing all of our own feed this year using corn, sunflowers, wheat, oats, pumpkins and possibly some other seed crops to make a chicken mix. We are keeping a small flock of layers now with a rooster always present in case we need to turn up the meat chickens in the event of an emergency. But like Mutti said... There are local organic chicken growers that sell whole birds already feathers, gutted and bagged for the freezer or canning at really low and fair prices. When that price goes up, we'll go back to doing our own... Our neighbor has a plucker and scalder in the barn for those times we do it our selves.

Cell Phones are another big pull on the budget, basic plans or share a service with $9.99 add on line with other family members outside the household and share the expense. Why on earth every child needs a cell phone with a data plan when money is tight, I'll never figure out.... Between the cable and the cell phones family could save a few hundred dollars a month in wasted expense and apply that to lowering the debt to get closer to freedom and independence. So many people I see complaining about money are at the same time texting the world on the newest I-phone.

If saving money and getting out of debt is not your goal... Then this thread is not for you I guess... But if it is, listen to the folks above, they all seem to have figured this path out already and seem to know what really works... Walk the Walk as they say.


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## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

Sonshine said:


> Like you, we have already cut out paper products with the exception of tp, but have been gathering cloth diapers for that purpose.


Check at goodwill for flannel sheets, or buy cheap ones somewhere, reading another thread from a friend on another forum I found the value of flannel. She sews two layers together with the seams all on the inside. We had a heavy flannel from massage sheets we had on hand, we just ironed the edges over and zig zagged a hem all around and they are good. Very soft, very absorbant... You'll like the flannel.


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

Love this thread, it's good to see I am not the only one cutting out what my friends and family think are vital to their existence. 

My sister is always giving me a hard time because I only use TP, all other paper products long gone. I sewed cloth napkins, some for everyday and some for company and holidays, I have cleaning cloths, dish and wash cloths. I do have "personal" cleaning cloths and squirt bottles in case we get to the point that we no longer have toilet paper but so far they are just stored away.I drain bacon and anything else that needs it on a rack over a cookie sheet then strain the drippings into a glass jar kept in the fridge.

I have chickens and quail and I am thinking about rabbits this spring. I live in a neighborhood near town so no livestock. I buy mainly chicken and beef and have come to use meat more as a side dish than a main meal. We grow most of our veggies and some fruit, I buy milk and honey locally and have dealt with both suppliers for years so I get good prices.

We live close enough to many places to walk and we have a bus stop right on the corner and bikes so no car, no gas, no insurance to buy.

My central unit died three years ago and by the time I had the money to try and fix it, we decided we liked the big savings on our bill and just stopped using it. We have air conditioners in each main room now and fans in every room and we have the fireplace and portable heaters for winter. Firewood is free, we spend all summer and spring getting it for free from people cutting down trees. It is a little work to load, cut, stack and season but it saves us big bucks.

We make most of out clothes or buy from the thrift store. If it's new it's off the clearance rack. About the only thing I buy new at full price (unless I can catch a sale) is under garments and socks and I am learning to knit so I can make socks one day and plan to learn how to sew underwear too.

We have no cable TV, but due to work and school we do have high speed internet, a prepaid cell phone, no home phone.

All of my debt is paid except my home which I still have a few years to go on, but I pay $50 a month extra every month and more when I can.

We are happy, well fed and not in debt. My kids sometimes look bright eyed at the expensive gadgets their cousins have but at the end of the day, they enjoy our simple life and both say they plan to not change the way they live even when they move out o their own.


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## MacaReenie (Mar 1, 2008)

We decided on the tightwad thread that sugar/flour bags make great things to drain your bacon on. I also use them for lunch bags..nice and sturdy!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

> We make most of out clothes or buy from the thrift store. If it's new it's off the clearance rack. About the only thing I buy new at full price (unless I can catch a sale) is under garments and socks and I am learning to knit so I can make socks one day and plan to learn how to sew underwear too.


I just have started wearing the first pair of socks that I hand knitted and they have such a different feel to them than store bought. I need to get another pair on the needles. I knit them very slowly so far.

Then I've made underwear before, they end up being less expensive and fit nicer. The wide opaque tricot is about $4 a yard (www.sewsassy.com) is where I've bought my stuff from as it's in town here and I know the owner and could ask questions. That is another thing I need to get back to doing more. 

But, I think you'll like both being made by yourself.

I have to try the flannel as WV spoke of - and since it's just me here, and they sounds comfy to the bottom.

And I need to get out a cookie rack for over a shallow cookie sheet or pan and try that for my bacon.


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## jtjf_1 (Nov 7, 2009)

For TP we just forgo the whole thing altogether water and soap is all you really need. Your gonna wash your hands afterwards anyway. I figure if half the world can do it so can we!


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## littlebitfarm (Mar 21, 2005)

You know, I think I'll keep my TP. Water use (cistern filled by rain only) is more precious than paper use, at this point. That said, it doesn't take half a roll everytime you go to the bathroom. Only 2 females here at work, I am horrified at the amount of TP she uses! No wonder her septic is messed up at home. 

Kathie


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

AngieM2 said:


> And I need to get out a cookie rack for over a shallow cookie sheet or pan and try that for my bacon.


For the bacon, I think finding a small circular rack to catch the bacon grease would be much more efficient. reason is that would be a greasy mess on both the rack and the cookie sheet. If you found a small cake cooling rack or such that would fit into your cast iron, it would just be greased up and ready for the next time you use it. 

I, too, will be keeping my TP.


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## Calico Katie (Sep 12, 2003)

My in-laws had the best bacon grease saving arrangement I've ever seen. They kept a small coffee can on their kitchen stove with a strainer laying across the top. Every time they cooked bacon, which was almost every morning, they poured the grease through the strainer. They kept a small ladle in the can to dip the grease into a skillet/pan for cooking with. They didn't refrigerate it but since they used it for almost all of their cooking, it didn't accumulate and get old or rancid. A very simple system that gave them a constant supply of clean, clear grease for cooking and seasoning.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

jtjf_1 said:


> For TP we just forgo the whole thing altogether water and soap is all you really need. Your gonna wash your hands afterwards anyway. I figure if half the world can do it so can we!


Well, Hi neighbor! I'm just south of the boarder from you.

Seems like it would be more of a mess if I used water and soap every time I went. 

I really like my cloth wipes and I recommend giving it a try to anyone willing to listen.

For draining bacon, we use junk mail or newspaper that then gets tossed into the woodstove. I like the idea of catching the drips though, especially in the cast iron, but I cook my bacon IN the cast iron pan. I'll have to put some more thought into this as I really like the idea of saving those drips.

I'd like to learn how to "wash" the grease to make a soap that doesn't smell like meat too. I make my own soap with lard and tallow that I rendered from out own pigs and beef, so this only makes good sense to me. 

I feed my hens homemade feed for the most part. They do get a little layer mash, but I also feed them cooked beans and rice as well as any leftover veggies or oatmeal or cornbread or whatever. They do just fine. It is of course deep winter here now and they aren't laying, but they look nice and healthy.

A HUGE money saver for us is the sprouting set up hubby and I built to sprout whole barley and wheat for my meat rabbits and milk cow. Our grain costs easily 70% less now by sprouting whole grains for 7-8 days.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

Calico Katie said:


> My in-laws had the best bacon grease saving arrangement I've ever seen. They kept a small coffee can on their kitchen stove with a strainer laying across the top. Every time they cooked bacon, which was almost every morning, they poured the grease through the strainer. They kept a small ladle in the can to dip the grease into a skillet/pan for cooking with. They didn't refrigerate it but since they used it for almost all of their cooking, it didn't accumulate and get old or rancid. A very simple system that gave them a constant supply of clean, clear grease for cooking and seasoning.


I stepped away from my computer before I posted, so I missed this one.

FANTASTIC idea!!! In fact, I think I'll see about implementing it here.


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## Countrybumpkin (May 12, 2002)

wvstuck-you said that you use cloth wipes instead of tp-how in the world do you clean them? Maybe its just me, but I could not imagine using the regular washing machine for them, not to mention the smell one would get before wash day!


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## EasyDay (Aug 28, 2004)

Calico Katie said:


> My in-laws had the best bacon grease saving arrangement I've ever seen. They kept a small coffee can on their kitchen stove with a strainer laying across the top. Every time they cooked bacon, which was almost every morning, they poured the grease through the strainer. They kept a small ladle in the can to dip the grease into a skillet/pan for cooking with. They didn't refrigerate it but since they used it for almost all of their cooking, it didn't accumulate and get old or rancid. A very simple system that gave them a constant supply of clean, clear grease for cooking and seasoning.


Both Momma and Grammy always kept a "grease pot" on the stove for bacon grease. They'd use it in cornbread, or in the pan for fried potatoes or fried corn, etc., YUMMMM!!!! I backed down on that years ago due to my cholesterol count. But, my numbers are perfect again, and it sure is tempting to start that again. No... I mustn't! (Somebody stop me!)


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

Countrybumpkin said:


> wvstuck-you said that you use cloth wipes instead of tp-how in the world do you clean them? Maybe its just me, but I could not imagine using the regular washing machine for them, not to mention the smell one would get before wash day!


We use paper tp here, but I'm guessing washing the personal cloths would be very similar to washing cloth diapers :shrug:.

Store the used cloths in a bin and wash them in your washer:
Cold water rinse cycle
Hot water wash cycle with very little detergent
Final cold water rinse cycle

Then you can line dry them (sunlight helps with stains) or put them in your dryer.


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

Compost, compost, compost- Everything from the kitchen goes to the compost pile, add your leaves etc. and the time summer comes around you got free fertilizer for your garden. I priced 10-10-10 the other day and it was $14 a bag.- That's money in your pocket and your food will be much better for you.

Insurance- If your vehicle is over 10 years old and you still have collision on it, drop it. The odds are you will save another $150 a year.

Check your homeowners policy's and farm policy's for the deductibles. If you have low deductibles raise them up to $1000. You could possibly save another $150 here.

The same with health insurance, raise your deductibles and save more money. Better yet, eat your good composted farm food and have better health.

If you have internet and there are other companies that have it, play one against the other for a better deal and probably a faster speed.

I enjoy this homesteading too much to let the mighty dollar control me. I still have to work some but not as hard as I use too.:thumb:


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## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

Countrybumpkin said:


> wvstuck-you said that you use cloth wipes instead of tp-how in the world do you clean them? Maybe its just me, but I could not imagine using the regular washing machine for them, not to mention the smell one would get before wash day!


We bought one of those small metal trash cans with the step on lid opener, we keep a little water with a touch of bleach or vinegar in the water, never a smell.. On wash day you wash them just like anything else, just separately. Trisha in WA taught me all about this and I swear once you get over the old way of thinking you'd be very happy with this arrangement too.

Just like bluemoonluck said, just like cloth diapers that have been washed for ages in washing machines... Probably a whole lot less messy than diapers if you ask me.

We do use vinegar in our rinse cycle and all of our detergent is also home made. The vinegar will remove any soap residue in the rinse cycle. Line dried for freshness.

As a side note... Rinsing your hair in vinegar will remove the built up soap and shampoo in your hair also.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

If you are serious about saving, learn to graft and how to strike cuttings.

Rootstock is only a couple of dollars and most people will give you cuttings just for asking. That beats $26 for a fruit tree or $8 for a grape vine.


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

I have been improving my garden soil with compost for a few years now. I save many of my own seeds and I've been adding fruit trees and bushes to our suburban 1/5 acre lot for the last couple of years. I can/freeze/dehydrate everything I can get my hands on, whether I grow it or I am gifted with someone else's extra produce. I shop the sales and stock up on whatever I don't grow or is so cheaply priced that I can't can it myself for that price. This week our local grocer is running a sale on Red Gold products----when you buy in groups of tens you save $5. I got 24 oz. bottles of ketchup for $.29 each by buying in tens. I'll go back and get the 14.5-15oz cans of diced tomatoes for $.39 a can Wednesday when we get paid. The salsa is $.79 a jar and the tomato juice and vegetable juice are $.99 each when bought in tens. These are all mix and match items so you can buy a little or a lot and really save a ton of money. 

I have 2 laying hens now and will not get any more when they die off, the feed is just too expensive now. They provide me with additional fertilizer, but I have to do a good bit of work to get it to a usable state. With my health issues I am finding it more difficult to deal with the animals now, so there will not be replaced. 

I cook/bake much more from scratch now. We try to eat more frugally and in season. Meat is becoming more of a seasoning ingredient than the main star of the meal. I shop the clearance sections in the grocery store for the meat/dairy/produce and freeze what we cannot use before it goes bad. I cook my bacon on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet in the oven. The grease drips into the cookie sheet and I scrap it into a canning jar and store it in the refrigerator to cook other things with it. 

I have been crafting and repurposing things for many years now. It's fun to try and come up with a new use for the things headed to the landfill. With us growing and preserving more of our own food I'm finding that we have less trash to deal with. I am also more aware of the packaging of the things that I do purchase. I try to buy things that are in glass jars that I can reuse for storage of leftover, bulk dry goods or things headed to the freezer.

I have been hand making more of the gifts we give for Christmas and birthdays each year. I tend to make consumable gifts for Christmas whether it be cookies and candies or gift mixes that the recipient can make themselves at a later time. We have been putting less emphasis on the gifts and more on sharing our time together for the holidays.

I put more thought/planning into picking out and making a gift for those that will be receiving them now vs. just buying something because "society says we should". It's amazing to see the teenage grandkids scurry off with their box of homebaked treats for Christmas, instead of opening a store bought gift and setting it aside. They truly enjoy their edibles.


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

Great thread! And timely. Just finished looking over our finances for 2011 and the income is still too low and I'm running out of things to cut. But not just yet . I see two or three ideas that can help.

If the idea of cloth wipes in the bathroom grosses someone out, you might try using them for #1 and then using a garden sprayer or squeeze bottle for cleaning up after #2 and even for ladies at that time of the month. Then washing the cloths might not seem so bad since the cloths would only have pee on them, mostly. Like Bluemoonluck said, cold rinse, hot (or cold) wash and one more (additional) cold rinse. You won't smell a thing after washing them. Just use a simple detergent, NO fabric softener and be certain they are completely rinsed.


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## ladybug (Aug 18, 2002)

Great post WVStuck!


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## Horsefly (Sep 17, 2009)

*Wvstuck* & everyone else, what wonderful ideas. You gave me a couple of ideas to try. :goodjob: I'd really like to stop using paper toweling but not sure how DH will handle it.  He uses rags out in the garage all the time, so why not in the house too?  
We are planning to get 2 flowering crab trees this spring & plant strawberrries underneath them. I am hoping to add some herbs into one of my flowerbeds. And our chickens will be here in the spring. 
We should have our four-wheeler paid off by April, a year & half early! Woo Hoo! And we will be putting up a new garage this spring too. We have plenty of family members & friends who will help for pizza & beer.


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## 45n5 (Jun 9, 2008)

*meat* why not vegetarian? or hunting/trapping/fishing? 

isn't raising large animals expensive? i think just 1 vet bill could buy a ton of dollar store toilet paper. i bet the price of a cow could pay for much more 

*Cable TV / Satellite* but you are on the internet?

saying you don't stare at a "tv" anymore but just replace it with staring at a "monitor" isn't saying much, aren't folks just replacing a cable cost with an internet cost and the same for your sitting and staring?

i love some ideas in this thread but anytime i think of saving money on meat I immediately think of not eating it and when I think of saving on mindless viewing pleasure I think of killing my internet so i offered a couple different points of view.


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## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

45n5 said:


> *meat* why not vegetarian? or hunting/trapping/fishing?
> 
> isn't raising large animals expensive? i think just 1 vet bill could buy a ton of dollar store toilet paper. i bet the price of a cow could pay for much more
> 
> ...


Good points... But....

Meat is only expensive if you look for expensive. I don't have any blue ribbon cattle from a 4-H lot, just mixed breeds. The cost was only in the first one... $600 for a breeding cow. Raising cattle is nearly free for me... I probably have more time and money in the crops than I do the cows. They live on pasture year round, and the few months they aren't grazing they are eating hay we put up. There has never been a vet bill, when a cow shows signs of something, if I don't know what to do, the neighbors that have been raising cattle for 70 years sure do. Hunting and trapping are good ideas too, which we use around here and fresh fish is always available. Meat is something we enjoy and have learned to raise it for next to nothing in the last few years... We will start butchering our own this coming fall.

But for people who enjoy eating meat and aren't satisfied eating only rabbit food, the alternative to high grocery store prices is finding a local butcher and greatly reducing the amount they spend.

As far as Internet goes.... Well it's a choice we make to have a cheap conection to all of the research and ideas available for better farming methods, better animal techniques, a friendly chat here and there, bible studies communicating with family and friends across vast distances. Since I don't like to watch funny dog videos and crazy weird stuff just for the looking, it has cut the mindless part out and made itself mostly an educational value. My Children are home schooled and do many of thier lessons on the Internet every day, including research and other projects. Not a bad way to spend $50 a month.

When it comes to saving money on the Internet, just don't subscribe to anything that costs money, finding things on e-bay that you need around the farm for a fraction of the retail cost can lead to the Internet virtually paying its own bill. For instance, my daughter outgrew her good Sorrel Boots this year and handed them down to her little sister... We went on E-Bay and bought a slightly used set of Sorrel cold weather boots in her size for $12... They retailed at $120.00... So now she has a good quality boot for working around the farm or playing outside that will keep her feet very warm and very dry... She'll hand those down to her sister and then eventually a grandchild or neice will be wearing them... Self Paying Internet.

There are certain things that make life better without adding wasted time and useless fillers, the Internet certainly can be one of those as long as you are using it for the right things... And if you can save money on the things you need around the farm using it, then it has a value that makes it a worthwhile expense. 

I can't speak for other people's useage, just my own... And I rarely spend any wasted time online


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## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

I am building a solar hot water heater and plan to shut off the electric heater April-Sept


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

No paper towels or napkins have been used in our house for years now. As for toilet paper and kleenex . We will continue using them but we are frugal. We have lived without and not something I want to do again unless forced. Snot is nature's contact cement and unless you have actually washed handkerchiefs after the whole house has had a cold you cannot know just how horrible and time consuming this can be.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

emdeengee said:


> No paper towels or napkins have been used in our house for years now. As for toilet paper and kleenex . We will continue using them but we are frugal. We have lived without and not something I want to do again unless forced. Snot is nature's contact cement and unless you have actually washed handkerchiefs after the whole house has had a cold you cannot know just how horrible and time consuming this can be.


We have a soak setting on our washing machine. Very hot water and a soak, agitate, soak, agitate, then spin and wash in very hot water again with a cold water rinse. Works like a charm for us.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

saving bacon grease works, i do that. I just leave it in a glass jar by the stove.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Trisha in WA said:


> We have a soak setting on our washing machine. Very hot water and a soak, agitate, soak, agitate, then spin and wash in very hot water again with a cold water rinse. Works like a charm for us.


When I was washing handkerchiefs having to wash them in a machine and in a separate load in very hot water would not have been economically (nor environmentally) advantageous - nor even possible.


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## 36376 (Jan 24, 2009)

emdeengee said:


> Snot is nature's contact cement


I've never done this before but...

SPEW ALERT!


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

emdeengee said:


> When I was washing handkerchiefs having to wash them in a machine and in a separate load in very hot water would not have been economically (nor environmentally) advantageous - nor even possible.


I wash other things in the same load, such as t-shirts or sheets. So it isn't a separate special load...and normally I don't bother with the soak cycle. I don't have any problems with mind coming out very clean.


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## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

One of the things we have gone to is using an old Maytag Wringer Washer. That this is serious about washing clothes and much more economical on the water it uses. I have no problem washing anything and getting it clean. The modern washer simply doesn't compare. If you put clothes in the wringer and don't close the lid... Everything within 20' is going to get wet. 5 minutes to wash a complete load. Dip in the rinse water, wring again and hang on the line.


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## Maverick_mg (Mar 11, 2010)

I little while back I asked on the preserving the harvest for ideas on using bacon grease and here is a link ( I hope) to what I got for answers. I have already made a jar up for my husband to use outside when needed. 
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?p=5481507


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## Maverick_mg (Mar 11, 2010)

I also have a speed queen wringer washer that I love love love. Best washer ever! Your right WV about them being better then modern washers.


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

AngieM2 said:


> I just have started wearing the first pair of socks that I hand knitted and they have such a different feel to them than store bought. I need to get another pair on the needles. I knit them very slowly so far.
> 
> Then I've made underwear before, they end up being less expensive and fit nicer. The wide opaque tricot is about $4 a yard (www.sewsassy.com) is where I've bought my stuff from as it's in town here and I know the owner and could ask questions. That is another thing I need to get back to doing more.
> 
> But, I think you'll like both being made by yourself.


Thanks for the tips Angie! I crochet very well and I have made some cute socks like that but they are not warm enough for the winter, but good for the spring and summer. Learning to knit will give me something productive to do this summer when it's hot outside and by winter I will have plenty of socks!  I am picky about my undies, so making them will be a trial and error thing I suppose but at least once I get it right they will be custom and exactly what I like. Not to mention I never seem to be able to find them in the multi packs in colors I like unless I buy them by the pair and that gets expensive.

I think everyone should know how to at least sew basic patterns and know a yarn craft or two.


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## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

I have used only a very limited amount of paper towels for the last 3 years. I bought packages of 100% terry cotton towels at Costco, 60 in a pack for about $15. If you don't sew the edges before you wash them, a lot will fall apart. I use these in place of paper towels. The only time I will use a paper towel is if what ever has to be cleaned up will ruin the cloth towel or other towels in the washing machine. I also have a separate stack of the cloth towels that are stained that can be used for a bad clean up. Doing this has saved a lot of $$ and cloth works much better.


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## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

emdeengee said:


> No paper towels or napkins have been used in our house for years now. As for toilet paper and kleenex . We will continue using them but we are frugal. We have lived without and not something I want to do again unless forced. Snot is nature's contact cement and unless you have actually washed handkerchiefs after the whole house has had a cold you cannot know just how horrible and time consuming this can be.


You just brought back nightmares at the laundromat. Dad's blue or red hankies with paisley prints. Sometimes they didn't come 100% clean. Ewwwwwwww!!!!!! They were washed with his chambray work shirts. 

(Thank goodness!!!)


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

AngieM2 said:


> What a great idea for discussion.
> 
> One thing that I'm wondering about - when you fry bacon, what/how do you drain the fat from it?
> 
> ...


Angie, use a colander. I put my Mom's (I "inherited" it LOL) large, green, Tupperware colander on a plate and drain all my fried foods in it. Easy, washable, and no stuff going into the garbage can (including the money it cost's to buy the towels).


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## wagvan (Jan 29, 2011)

Trixters_muse said:


> Thanks for the tips Angie! I crochet very well and I have made some cute socks like that but they are not warm enough for the winter, but good for the spring and summer. Learning to knit will give me something productive to do this summer when it's hot outside and by winter I will have plenty of socks!  I am picky about my undies, so making them will be a trial and error thing I suppose but at least once I get it right they will be custom and exactly what I like. Not to mention I never seem to be able to find them in the multi packs in colors I like unless I buy them by the pair and that gets expensive.
> 
> I think everyone should know how to at least sew basic patterns and know a yarn craft or two.


You can take a pair of the ones you love and carefully disassemble them and use them as a pattern to make more. I can probably help you find a similar fabric if it is not something JoAnns would carry. I have looked into making custom fitted bras for myself and there are a few specialty fabric and pattern companies just for making undergarments. They also carry all the notions and findings. Although personally I like the skivvies made from tshirt material and have been considering upcycling old tshirts to make myself some new undies that I will like. I have a pair that I love I am considering dis-assembling to make a pattern from.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

Me too wagvan! I've never made any under garments before, but I have been thinking about taking a pare of undies apart to make a pattern....and thinking t-shirt material would be perfect for it!


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Trisha in WA said:


> We have a soak setting on our washing machine. Very hot water and a soak, agitate, soak, agitate, then spin and wash in very hot water again with a cold water rinse. Works like a charm for us.


I can get TP almost free with coupons. This seems expensive, both water and energy wise, not to mention the eww factor. Plus, using little squares of flannel, how many do you have to save up to do a load? A week, a month??
And, i TSHTFF, Id rather use a leaf or moss, rather than try to wash something out like this.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

as for socks, Im not a knitter (yet), but I can sew a bit. A couple years ago my mom bought me some polar fleece LLBean socks for Christmas. They looked easy enough to make, and I had a large amount of fleece remnants. You can also use an old fleece sweatshirt from bag day at a rummage sale to make them free...here is instructions
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=12356
the ones my mom bout at LLBean were $15 a pair


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Trixters_muse said:


> Thanks for the tips Angie! I crochet very well and I have made some cute socks like that but they are not warm enough for the winter, but good for the spring and summer. Learning to knit will give me something productive to do this summer when it's hot outside and by winter I will have plenty of socks!  I am picky about my undies, so making them will be a trial and error thing I suppose but at least once I get it right they will be custom and exactly what I like. Not to mention I never seem to be able to find them in the multi packs in colors I like unless I buy them by the pair and that gets expensive.
> 
> I think everyone should know how to at least sew basic patterns and know a yarn craft or two.


Trix I do a lot of garment sewing. My experience in making panties and bras is that you'll make about three of them before you get the fit right. Also once you do get that fit right, be warned that if you go to make new and are using a different fabric than the originals, your fit might be off--it's not always due to weight loss/gain.


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## farmerj (Aug 20, 2011)

we are only renting right now.

But we have the graces of the landlord to weatherize the house to reduce the heating bill even further. ROI = less than a year.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

AngieM2 said:


> What a great idea for discussion.
> 
> One thing that I'm wondering about - when you fry bacon, what/how do you drain the fat from it?
> 
> ...


I bake our bacon on a rack on a cookie sheet, the grease drains and is kept for later use. Newspaper is used for English fish and chips. I don't get a paper anymore. I rarely ever fry and when I do it is in a frypan with very little butter....James


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

AngieM2 said:


> What a great idea for discussion.
> 
> One thing that I'm wondering about - when you fry bacon, what/how do you drain the fat from it?
> 
> ...


I save my bacon grease in a can...and use it.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

beaglebiz said:


> I can get TP almost free with coupons. This seems expensive, both water and energy wise, not to mention the eww factor. Plus, using little squares of flannel, how many do you have to save up to do a load? A week, a month??
> And, i TSHTFF, Id rather use a leaf or moss, rather than try to wash something out like this.


To each their own. I don't like paper anymore. For facial tissue, I used to get a horribly chapped nose during allergy season. Now I don't with cloth.
For TP I also prefer cloth. I wash the cloths twice a week. I don't wash them by themselves. I wash them with things like sheets etc. 

Do what you want, but don't talk down to me because I choose something different.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

No one is talking down to you just expressing their opinions and concerns and talking about their experiences. 

If there is no TP or kleenex anywhere in the world we will all have to find alternate ways including cloth and leaves but my experience is that it is not a pleasant way to live. My experiences with handkerchiefs and cloth toilet wipes (and diapers and sanitary pads) is that it is very time consuming and yukky. And of course there is the sterilization question which means using bleach which is extremely bad for the environment. I did not have a washer when this was going on either. A tub and a toilet plunger and elbow grease. 

Toilet paper costs us $100 per year, kleenex $80 - no diapers or pads needed anymore. I consider this an acceptable expenditure since my time and the cost of hot water and electricity and bleach would have to be considered. I would never wash handkerchiefs or toilet cloths or diapers or sanitary pads in the same load as other items.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

I can get on board with most of these ideas, but you can take my TP when you pry it from my cold, dead.......well......you know 
I like reading about everybody's money saving tips, and I've been thinking of some, or trying to think of some to add to it.
I'm admittedly not the most frugal person in the world, but one thing that helps me save is cash.
If I'm spending cash, I'm way less likely to impulse buy. Cash is hard for me to let go of, but with plastic or a check, it's easy to just shovel stuff into the cart as you go.
I've been known to have several hundred dollars in my pocket and use a debit card to buy a bottle of pop and some jerky.:smack


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

I'll add a car that gets 35+MPG to the list. And keeping eating out to a minimum. Both will save huge amounts of cash.


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## farmerj (Aug 20, 2011)

Silvercreek Farmer said:


> I'll add a car that gets 35+MPG to the list. And keeping eating out to a minimum. Both will save huge amounts of cash.


ditto there.

Just wish I could find a job that didn't have a 60 mile commute...


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

farmerj said:


> ditto there.
> 
> Just wish I could find a job that didn't have a 60 mile commute...


I hear ya, I do 70 miles a day, the logistics with kids ect, are sometimes worse than the gas/wear and tear. The job got us on the farm, but the next one will be closer for sure!


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## farmerj (Aug 20, 2011)

Silvercreek Farmer said:


> I hear ya, I do 70 miles a day, the logistics with kids ect, are sometimes worse than the gas/wear and tear. The job got us on the farm, but the next one will be closer for sure!



I got my job in Aug 2011 and bought a honda civic. Getting about 38-40 mpg on average. Winter low is looking to be about 37. The savings in gas is paying the car. But the reliability is incredible to my oldsmobile I had.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Trisha in WA said:


> To each their own. I don't like paper anymore. For facial tissue, I used to get a horribly chapped nose during allergy season. Now I don't with cloth.
> For TP I also prefer cloth. I wash the cloths twice a week. I don't wash them by themselves. I wash them with things like sheets etc.
> 
> Do what you want, but don't talk down to me because I choose something different.


I was not talking down to you. I reread my post and I still dont see it. I just mentioned I would rather use my free tp, you and the rest of the world can wipe or not with whatever they want. The moss/leaf suggestion made sense at an end of civilization situation, because I would not want to haul the water to wash toilet cloth. As for other paper goods, right now, and for several years, I have used cloth napkins, rags/kitchen towels, and I use pretty handkerchiefs and the boys/men use bandanas for their noses.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

has anyone made soap using saved chicken fat??


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