Posted on 06/24/2005 6:35:23 AM PDT by Gabz
I was participating in a thread the other day started by a FReeper who has started to grow his own tobacco because of the ever escalating increases in tobacco taxes.
The fact his "crop" is tobacco is neither here nor there and I only mention it as way of introduction to the idea for the title of today's thread theme.
We all got talking about the benefits of making and or growing our own things as a means of saving money and were called on the carpet by a bean counter who claims that when one adds in the time it takes to prepare the things we grow or make we are not saving any money and in fact are losing money because the time could better be spent doing soemthing that actually pays money.
I disagree and would like all of your opinions.
Same here. Store brands are often cheaper than coupons.
LOL!! He didn't have a post hole digger either. He would bust his hump digging a hole and breaking rock, then my son would get his little shovel and try to fill the holes in! It was too funny. We are now enjoying the fact that the major home projects are completed.
>>>Wal-Mart carries canning supplies, Sure-Jell, ect.
Not here. Stores in general don't carry the same line at every location.
There are no stores left in North or Central Jersey that carry canning supplies.
Even the food stores have phased out raw ingredients. The 'baking' sections even only carry box instant vs. raw ingredients. Sugar and flour are almost $2.00 for a 5 lb bag.
I'm a blue state. Everything happening to us, if it is not stopped, will filter into your red states.
bump!
Great point! To be truthful, that is something I am pretty weak at, I really need to learn better how to fix things. Not very mechanically inclined!
Very true! Most things I buy generic anyway, but some things my crew likes specific brands. So the coupons I cut are for those items. :)
ALL of those things count!!!!!!!!!!!
Your hubby sounds like mine. he is turning what used to be nothing but possible storage space in the attic into office and closet space, cut a whole in the gable end to install a door and built a deck off the attic. Right now he is at the lumber yard ordering siding and we've already started putting on the new roof.
Just doing the roofing and siding ourselves, while it may take a little longer, is saving us close to $5,000. I can handle giving up a couple of Fridays to save that kind of money.
Our local community college is offering evening and weekend home repair courses aimed mainly at women. They're very popular, according to the newspaper.
Another thing I just thought of! Someone mentioned hand-me downs. I just joined freecycle. If you've never heard of it check out their website www.freecycle.org. Just sign up for the group in your area. I've given away craft supplies I no longer needed to a girl scout troup and picked up a box of 3-ring binders so I could organize all the papers that come into our house. On Wednesdays you can post things you want/need and others can reply to you. It's a wonderful way to keep from filling up landfills with stuff others may be able to use! It's all FREE!!!
Our farmer's market is also a steal. I can get a huge grocery bag of tomatoes for about $2. Wonderful deals to be found on a Saturday morning!
If you want ideas for large meals to freeze, look in the freezer section of your grocery store (or Sam's, for really big meals :-). Then you can go to Recipes.com or other cooking sites and find recipes that you can double or triple. I like to freeze in gallon or 2-gallon heavy-duty ziplock bags.
a friend of mine was thrown a "casserole" party/shower before her second son was born. Everyone brought something that froze well and could be heated in the oven without much fuss. She loved it and I thought it was a great idea as well. She had food for almost two months! LOL. People also brought baby items as well if they wanted to.
Thanks Gabz for posting this. We need a daily thread for this!
for anyone who wants to raise their own tobacco, try F.W. Rickard Seeds, KY. I get mine there and you get 10,000 seeds for about 11.00. or 1.09 ounces. (they are very tiny seeds, but don't let them fool you. One plant can get 6-7 foot high and they have to be planted 45 inches apart. ) They have all kinds, but I buy msKy 14xL8---a burley. Warning hint: grasshoppers just love this stuff.
That thinking ticks me off also. he actually went so far as to compare me to other SAHMs who he knows earn upwards of $20,000 a year - I took that as a major slap at those of us who have learned to adapt to one income by saving and not bowing to the almighty dollar.
P.S. get the Ball Blue Book for canning tips. Some of it can be time consuming but most of it is just basic stuff. I would also check your hardware stores for canning supplies before the bigger market/chain stores, they tend to be cheaper. Good luck!
This is my 3rd child and I really don't need much baby stuff. Maybe I could convince my sister-in-law to throw me a casserole shower! Now that is something I could use!!! What a great idea!
I freeze extra soup but found my chili doesn't hold up very well. I forget about recipes.com...I'll have to get my printer ready and spend a day browsing! Thanks for the tip!
I would have taken it as a slap as well. Money is money. Yes its nice to have...but we all have to make decisions based upon whats most important to us. Geesh, what a blockhead that guy is!
We've only been in our house for a couple of years, so the garden's still pretty small. The only vegetable that produced enough last year to preserve was the tomatoes.
We plan on moving and enlarging the garden during the fall, so next year should give us a pretty good supply of everything.
Calpernia, have you tried checking feed stores for canning supplies? If nothing else, you should be able to buy them online.
Don't worry about the bean counters either. Just like it's OUR money to spend, it's OUR time as well. (Besides, bean counters can't COUNT beans if nobody GROWS them, now can they?) LOL!
I'm curious though. I tend to freeze vegetables instead of canning, so which method do other FReepers prefer, and why?
_______________________________________________________ Money saving tips....hmmm.
1. Learn how to fix things for yourself.
Most of our garden/lawn equipment wasn't purchased, it was given to us by people who didn't have a clue how to get it running again. Hubby, bless his heart, got them all running again with a minimum of cash.
2. Goodwill/Salvation Army stores
We get quite a bit of our clothing from these kind of stores, especially coats. Last year, one of the girls got a beautiful London Fog thigh length coat in NEW condition...price - 10 bucks!
3. Reuse, reuse, reuse!
Freezer bags that haven't been used to store things like meat can be washed and used again and again. Big zippered bags that bedspreads come in can be used to store stuff, too. Pretty little appliques cover small holes in kids clothes, and plastic tubs with snap tight lids (like butter spreads come in) are great for storing leftovers.
4. "Ooops" paint
The hardware chains (like Home Depot) have what we call oops paint. This is paint that was mixed, but the color wasn't what the customer wanted, so now the store is stuck with it. Here, it runs about $15 for a five gallon bucket. We painted our entire 2000 square foot house for 30 dollars, and my MIL bought a light and dark shade of green and they mixed into a beautiful shade that looks wonderful!
I've even gotten around buying many plants or seeds any more by saving seeds froma few of the fruit each one of the types I have growing and drying the seeds and saving them for next year. Then the only seeds or plants I buy are new types I want to try.
Everything takes time and effort, even stuff to save time and effort :)
I'm planning on trying to sell some of my jellies, sauces and salsas this year.......considering the prices those things command at the local farmers markets and town festivals around here - all my time effort and "cost" should be well worth it :)
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