Heating bills, rising food prices, taxes, unexpected expenses: it’s enough to throw anyone into a frenzy! In the bio of me for this blog, I talk about my grandmother who was forced into incredible frugality when the untimely death of her husband left her with six children, no steady income and no help from government programs, as they didn’t exist. She took on these problems with stone-faced determination. She modeled for me the subtleties of living a frugal life that still had great joy and contentment. What’s the secret? There are many, but I thought I would focus on some of the insights I have gained through mistakes I have made along the way. I am a firm believer in sharing my errors as well as my triumphs as I discuss homesteading. Frugal living doesn’t mean you can’t spend money, its success depends upon spending it well.
Here are some tips I discovered the hard way.
1: Rotate and check the dates of foods in the freezer. We moved the freezers up from the basement so that Jim could refresh them with a clean coat of paint before we relocated them at the new house. Much to my dismay, I discovered meat that I had allowed to sit in the bottom of my freezer for years! OK. Jim and I both had a season of illness, but there was no excuse for not rotating the stock in my freezer. I packaged our annual half a hog into the vacuum bags but I didn’t label them. I remember thinking I will be able to tell what year the packages were placed in the freezer just by what bags we used. That didn’t happen. While the vacuum bags have kept the meat much fresher, there is nothing that will prevent freezer burn forever.
2: Have a menu plan. There are two sides to this issue. Yes, having a menu plan is a practical way to set yourself up for success when the busyness of life makes it so much easier to stop for a pizza instead of loading that crock pot in the morning. The other side of that is staying open to a special buy at the store that will be much cheaper than what you have planned. As food prices continue to rise, good planning is an area that will help you save money. The new instant pot and presser cookers available at Buchheit makes homemade meals easier and cheaper by using less expensive cuts of meat and cutting prep time in half.
3: Before you go shopping, check the daily special buys on-line at Buchheit. The Buchheit family allows me complete freedom to write whatever I wish and they never tell me to promote products but these ads are so good they deserve to be included. I always check them out before I go on a shopping trip as being frugal means keeping in step with great sales. By knowing the price for everyday items, you will be able to compare and save. They also often have a better quality product than I find at the big box stores which means what I buy from Buchheit will last longer.
4: Quit wasting food. I have purchased, with every good intention, tons of lettuce to make a healthy salad. I have thrown into the compost or the chicken coop, at least half of what I bought. That is not frugal. Now I enjoy a salad when I eat out, it’s become a treat that I enjoy without the waste. I purchase spinach instead of lettuce as it works well on sandwiches and to plate with poached eggs and it holds twice as long in the fridge.
5: Label it or lose it. I went through a season years ago when I still lived in town. I listened to cable news reports during an economic recession. I stocked up on lots of products to help my family survive the soon-coming doomsday scenario (which didn’t happen). I made one major mistake. I didn’t research carefully to understand that some of the more expensive items had limited shelf-lives. I didn’t label it, so I lost it. Unopened, properly packaged cooking oils have a shelf life of approximately one year. I lost all the oil I purchased simply because I left it downstairs, out of site out of mind, and forgot to rotate my stock. I still have reserves on hand in case of emergencies, but I have tags on all the items that show the expiration dates and I move the new purchases to the back of the shelves when I bring them into my pantry.
It’s not a problem to save money by buying in bulk or larger quantiles as long as you take the time to properly label your items. I’ve become much more successful at using not only items in my pantry but those lost leftover that get shoved to the back of the refrigerator too! An investment in good storage containers can help save money in the long run.
6. Use your tools. Most of us have a crockpot or an instant pot along with a standing mixer, a dehydrator, a timer feature on our oven and access to great recipes on the internet, so use them. Saving money is a question of diligence. It’s always easier to run through the drive-thru but for the price of fast food you usually could make two home cooked meals. I love using my dehydrator to help preserve foods in season. I presently have all the trays of my dehydrator filled with organic spinach that was on sale as it is harvest time for this superfood. I can store pounds and pounds of spinach in a quart jar for use as organic spinach powder after I pulverize it in my food processor. Save money by using the tools you already own and save more money by investing in quality energy-saving kitchen appliances.
7. Live the simple life. Attempting to follow in my grandmother’s footsteps when it comes to enjoying the simple joys of life is sometime difficult. I never once in all the years she lived heard my grandmother gripe or complain about her lot in life. She took pleasure in her garden. It was a source of great peace and comfort for her. She loved spending time with her family and friends. It costs little to invite someone over for coffee and enjoy their company. I am planting her favorite flower, the peony, in massive beds for cutting. I am reminded every time I see them that she lives on in her family’s efforts to live the simple life.
I hope these tips will help you save money. Enjoy today!
Be blessed, it’s a state of mind! Sincerely Ann May
