What I Don't Buy and What I Still Do

Many times we focus on reducing our grocery bills or household bills by using coupons or stocking up when a great sale price comes along. I've found one of the best ways to cut those two bills...I just don't buy it! Here's a quick list of some items we no longer purchase.

1. trash bags. I just use plastic grocery bags from the store.

2. paper towels. We cut up old shirts for rags for really messy stuff and use dish towels for the rest.

3. paper plates/utensils. I do not purchase any of these and we do not have a dish washer!! I mean, we do but it's either me or my oldest children. : )

4. household cleaners. I use vinegar and baking soda for all our cleaning needs.

5. organic/gluten free snack food. When we first started our "real" food journey and then our gluten free journey I bought a ton of prepackaged organic/gluten free snacks. Our grocery budget went through the roof!! I've sense become more confident in my gluten free baking so I make 99% of our snacks now. I do shop at a store called Marc's and a bent and dent that sometimes has super cheap prices on gluten free food so I do still purchase probably 1% of our snacks there.

Here's my list of items that I would like to stop buying but having gotten the courage up yet to stop!

1. apple juice/water bottles. My girls love love their apple juice. We were going through insane amounts a month but have now reduced it to 4 gallons a month split between four girls. We live on a farm with a well and I've just always bought bottled water. I need to have our water tested and/or buy a filtration device.

2. laundry soap. I have found a couple of recipes that I'm really interested in trying! I just need to pick a day and make it!

3. coffee creamer. I must find a way to stop using these!! I love my coffee but I just can't drink it black. I have been cutting back on my use of the coffee creamer but I just can't seem to go cold turkey.

What are some things you no longer buy or would like to stop buying?

This post is linked to Frugal Tip Tuesday at Getting Ahead

Menu Planning Road Blocks

I am struggling right now with my menu planning. We are a gluten free family who tries to eat as much "real" food as possible. Our budget doesn't allow for any eating out right now, so I'm planning and cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week for seven people! Honestly, I think I'm just burnt out on planning/cooking.

I've been reviewing how I used to meal plan. It was easier I think, when we lived in town and not on the farm. Right now I spend all the nice weather working outside, there are always fences to work on or yards/barns/coops to clean out. I haven't even started on the flower beds or gardens yet!! When we were living in town it didn't matter if it took awhile to make a meal but now every minute counts! I always feel like if I'm on top of things outside then the inside of my house is falling apart. I honestly haven't found a way to fix this problem. Any ideas?

One solution I have found is that on Friday nights we have gluten free pasta. It's an easy quick meal. I also always plan one night to grill hot dogs. Wednesday nights we pack our dinner or share with our music teachers. You would think it would be easy to fill in the other four nights but I've been seriously struggling!! I try to plan a crock pot meal, casserole, and a whole chicken meal but we seem to be eating the same food over and over and there is rumors of a dinner riot taking place.

At one point I was a die hard freezer cook. I usually cooked/prepped enough meals for two or three months at the beginning of our school year, at Christmas time, before garden season, and again before our busy 4-H season. It just seems so much harder now that I'm feeding seven people and the kids all eat more than me! The gluten free part has also stumped me because some of our tried and true meals can't be frozen if made gluten free.

I know I must get this under control. I'm fixing meals but there is no love involved!! I always prided myself on how much I loved cooking for my family but right now I'm dreading it!!

How do you overcome your lack of desire to meal plan and cook?

Creative ways to Save Money

Here are my top ten ways to creatively save money:

1. We do not buy trash bags. I always get plastic grocery bags from the grocery store so we use those in all of our trash cans. I usually double bag the ones that go into the kitchen can. We've been doing this for months and haven't had a leak yet.

2. We do not eat out anymore. One of my children is extremely sensitive to gluten so we have chosen as a family to not eat out. The only place that I trust to avoid contamination is Chipotle and the cost to feed us all there is crazy!

3. However, there are emergency times when we might need to eat out. I've figured out that we can all share a fajita bowl if I buy side orders of rice for $.88 each. Always know the cheapest way to eat out, just in case!

4. We live on a small farm so I know this won't be applicable to everybody but always shop around for the best price of feed. There are several feed stores around us and prices vary from $11.00 per 50lb bag of chicken feed to $17 per 50lb bag. I found that the cheapest store also buys almost everything that goes into their feed from local farmers so I enjoy the cheapest and most local feed!

5. Always check in free boxes! We are part of our local home school co-op and there are always free boxes full of "treasure". Sometimes I don't find anything that we need but other times I've walked away with curriculum or other books we need.

6. This one has been difficult for some members of the family but we started buying Scott brand toilet paper. It lasts forever!! It might not be the softest but it is the cheapest! Just by switching our family of seven only goes through two four packs of toilet paper a month instead of an entire large package with 18 rolls of the soft fluffy stuff!

7. Be a creative barterer. I have a surplus of eggs right now so I'm bartering a couple dozen eggs for 5 gallon buckets of field corn. Strange trade? Not for us. Next month our little piggies come and this will help reduce our feed cost!

8. Raise some of your own food. Maybe you can't raise animals but can you grow some veggies in a window sill or containers? If the cost of feed is keeping you from raising chickens make sure you feed them all of your scraps and consider letting them free range. We have 12 hens and a rooster who are all actively laying (well except the rooster!) and we go through just a little over one 50lb bag of layer mash a month. We feed all our scraps to the hens and let them free range most of the time.

9. Unplug your dryer. Our dryer broke early in September and I haven't used one since. We have a family of seven and I've found that if I do a load a day I can keep up. I also live where I can't use our outdoor clothesline year round so I hung up some tomato stakes between a couple chairs to use as a makeshift drying rack inside.

10. Shop used first! My family knows that if we need something I will always check all our local thrift stores before we set foot in a department store. My coffee maker broke so I headed to Goodwill and found a super nice coffee maker on blue tag day for $3.75!!! It is so much nicer than the one I had! We shop used for all our needs first, yes instant gratification is nice but with a large family buying new really adds up!

This post is linked to Frugal Fridays

Waiting

Our dairy goat is due to kid sometime this month. Yesterday I noticed that she had mucus coming from her rear view so we've now started the dreaded waiting game! I've been reading up on what to expect and how soon we could expect to see a baby but so far nothing I've read has helped me narrow it down.

I spent yesterday checking on her throughout the day. She mostly wanted to lay around but would get up if I started to rub her back. I did notice she was doing a lot of yawning and licking her lips. Most websites recommend checking the goats ligaments but I'll be honest I'm not sure what the heck I'm feeling for!

This morning I woke up hoping to find a baby goat but no luck. Ariel was being very aggressive to our other goat Oreo ( who is not bred). She also was aggressive about getting her food today. I'm trying to leave her alone but I admit it's hard! This will be Ariel's first time kidding and mine!

Let the waiting begin!

This is linked to The Homestead Revival Barn Hop

Dangers on the Homestead

My children love living on our little farm. We have trees to climb, cricks to play in and build bridges across, and hay bales to jump from. I had been seriously debating on whether a four wheeler would benefit our homestead, once the hogs come it will be a little walk to feed/water them two or more times a day and let's face it riding on a four wheeler is FUN!

However, the truth is they can be dangerous as our small town is finding out. Yesterday a former schoolmate of my oldest had an accident. She was life flighted to a bigger hospital but unfortunately she still passed away. She was only 13.

I know that accidents can happen anytime and anywhere. I also know that four wheelers can be great fun if handled properly. However, I also realize that my kids would probably just want to joy ride on it and could act dangerously. I've decided that for our homestead a four wheeler isn't in our future.

I'm using this accident as a reminder to myself that no matter how many times my kids have done things and were safe that it could change any minute. I won't forbid them from going to the crick or climbing trees but I will remind them to play it extra safe. It's easy to forget the dangers that could be lurking around the homestead.

Be sure to remember to hug your children extra tight today. You never know the day or the hour it could be your last time. I will be trying to explain the whys of death to my 13 year old and hold him a little longer.

Early Spring Cleaning

We have been hit by a wicked stomach bug at our house. It has taken out all the children except one and so far I've managed to avoid it as well. I decided to start our major Spring cleaning today to help get rid of the germs and clutter! I'm grateful that the weather is decent and I can hang the blankets on the clothesline.

It's been almost a year since we moved in and the house hasn't had a good deep clean since. I have two weeks before many animals start arriving at the farm so my major plan of attack is to print off some menu plans and chore charts, implement said charts, and get the house to where all we need to do is maintain it.

Have you started your spring cleaning yet?

Changes!

This year is bringing some major changes in our life that will effect every aspect. My husband will be moving to Florida at the end of the month, without the rest of our family. At this point, I'm not sure how everything will work out yet. My biggest concern is our children quickly followed by how in the world will I make enough money to survive.

One of the ways I'm hoping to earn some money is by selling at our local farmers market. I've been busy planning our garden and writing out lists of things that sold well the last time we went. Our hens are also picking up their production so once they are consistently laying daily I'll be selling excess eggs so that should cover their feed bills.

The turkeys are being purchased this week. My middle daughter is going to show one for 4-H. We have to purchase at least four and right now I'm trying to figure out how many I should buy in case we have a high death toll. I'm looking into taking orders like a meat csa where people could order now and pay a certain amount in hopes of earning income that way as well.

Our feeder pigs are coming next month and the fair pig comes in April. I have planned where they are going to be put. I have enough t-posts and now I just need to buy hog or cattle panels.

Our dairy goat seems to be pregnant. She's eating more and more and filling out. She's also starting a small bag and her teats are getting bigger. Her due date is sometime in March. I need to get the kidding supplies together so I'm prepared!!

This post is linked to Homestead Revival Barn Hop