Skip to main content

Thriving while being Thrifty

Browsing the thrift stores regularly - this way I can keep an eye on stock, keep my finger on the pulse of prices, and occasionally pick up great deals like over 25 pounds of fabrics for just $25. Yards and yards and yards of calicoes, solids, knits, and pre-quilted fabrics to build up my stash. So far I've made nightgowns for Daughter, curtains, hot/cold rice bags, and gift bags. The stash has barely felt the loss.

Meal planning - (by the month), and then using the same plan for the next month, with only minimal changes. Knowing what is going to be on the menu in the upcoming weeks allows me to stock up when the basics are marked down. And I'm rarely caught off without the ingredients I need, but even on those days, I always have ingredients to make something. Dining out is a rare event for us, and it is an event, not just a slack-off.

Putting out a garden - soon the holidays will be over and it will be time to plan next spring's garden... vegetables for the table, vegetables for canning, salad fixings, berries for jams, and fruit trees. I'd like to plan a bee garden as well as a butterfly garden, too. Seeds are inexpensive compared to foods at the grocery store.

Canning  - while the start-up costs for canning (jars, lids, stock pot for boiling, and a pressure cooker) can be expensive, it doesn't have to be. In the last year, I've picked a large water bath canner and a large pressure cooker, each for $10! These were at the thrift stores. And come spring, I'll be watching the auction ads for estate sales to get canning jars. I know they will be out there. I just have to keep an open eye and be patient.

Thriving while being thrifty isn't difficult or deprivation. It does require a bit of forethought and a plan though. What are your plans for the next month, the next season, next year? It's never too soon to be thinking that far ahead.

Cheers!
Ann
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I'm in the pillowcase business!

Part of being a stay at home mom and making sustainable living choices is keeping expenses down, but the other part is to increase the income, too.  And working from home allows me to develop multiple small income avenues rather than just going after the one big avenue of income. With that in mind, I've been brainstorming, trying to come up with a project for the cold winter months.  I've kicked around various crochet ideas, but was truly inspired when I came across the idea of making custom pillowcases. Here are some photos of the one I whipped up this morning specifically so I could take photos to promote this new business venture. Isn't that a lovely pillowcase?  I can't wait to share with you all the pillowcases I have planned! Come spring, I'll add chickens, well eggs, as another avenue.  And of course the garden will go in which will reduce our food spending in a big way. What small avenues of income are you working on? ...
6 comments
Read more

Money

Money, the taboo topic.   We're taught, by our parents and the culture we live in, to not talk about money.  Don't talk about how much you make.  Don't talk about how much you spend.  Don't talk about the ins and outs of credit cards.  Don't talk about how much financing really costs. And if you're in a financial mess, don't talk about that either. So we're each alone in dealing with our finances.  Oh sure, you an ask your folks.  And get the lecture.  Or you can pay for a consultation with a financial advisor, and their sales pitch (usually).  But where can you just sit and talk about the basics? What if you just want to know you're not the only one who is bearing the consequences of a bad choice?  What if you just want to share ideas and hear other people's thoughts on what is working and not working? I propose that it starts here.  My sustainable living passion isn't just about the planet, environment, and being fruga...
4 comments
Read more

So Much Stuff

We live in a world of SO MUCH stuff. It's overwhelming just how much stuff there is in our world, at least in the US part of the world. Yesterday, I had a couple of hours to kill, and because my husband and I have decided we would prefer to furnish our home with antiques, I decided to take a walk through the local antiques mall. The antiques mall is in an old building downtown that used to be a JCPenney, so if you're familiar with the JCPenney stores of the 1970s and before, you'll know what I mean when I say it's big, really big, as in 3 floors of stalls of antiques. And the antiques range as far as they can from crochet-edged hankies to pyrex bowls to cast iron hand pumps to hoosier cupboards. Truly, if you're looking for a specific item, and you're willing to spend the time, you'll find it in this store. So much stuff.  Most of it just sits there, collecting dust. Like wall-hanging thread holder which I first spotted the first time I w...
7 comments
Read more