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Stretching the Food Dollar
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I also vote for a blog. I know there are tons out there but it would be great to have one go-to place for many frugal ideas. And I agree with Linda, that I would like to steer clear of the fear aspect. God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear…and we should be good stewards of what God has given us in good times and bad. We should be prudent, not fearful.
I’m blessed in my area to have good friends who are striving for the same things. We are starting a “support group” of sorts to encourage one another in these things to help us better serve our families with what we have. We’ll meet once a month and share ideas, maybe have a special guest to teach us things such as sewing/mending, cooking various things, etc. I’m so looking forward to it. We’re have a planning meeting soon and plan to begin in Jan. so this is all so timely for me. I can’t wait!
Robin that is fantastic, and maybe you will then be able to share some more ideas with us. The more people start thinking about things in a practical, sane and thoughtful way, the better off we will all be. I wish you all the luck with your new group, brilliant idea.
I was talking to my daughter and I said I had mentioned I would like to steer clear of a fearful atmosphere if we did a blog – bless her she said “fear makes people incapable of doing anything, it paralyses them and then nothing happens” I thought that was very astute of her and she is right. I have stopped looking at the forums and sites that encourage the fear aspect of the situation that our world is in. I keep informed and I hear from people I know in Europe how things are not going well – so in that sense I keep myself educated, but only so as to take care things like frugality and good stewardship – and prepare for increases in prices that could make life difficult. I am a great believer in being strong in Faith and in God and in doing all we can to take care of our families in the best way we can – and that is in a spirit of prudence and thrift as you say. There are tons out there, but some are way complicated and some sell things and some are scary – so why not start a new one in a simple straightforward way – easy to navigate where everyone who has an idea can post and share. We could specialise in simplicity and also in the needs of our current group – ie the allergy aspect and home made cleaning products. It could be very valuable and helpful. Linda
I love the ideas for gluten free and such. Dairy-free would be another good one. I’m sure as we go (and grow) we’ll think of new categories to add. And I agree with the ‘not spreading fear’. I think we should focus on recipes, tips, gardening, cleaning and not even write ‘economic’ type articles. Just stuff moms can use to help bless their families – like Linda said SIMPLE.
Yes, I agree-no fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”.
I am in… I don’t have a lot of suggestions to give though.
I have seen a recipe to hand-make liquid laundry soap that I’ve been tempted to try….
Ladies, this has been a very thread to me also. I need to trim down the budge too, as we have a family of seven. WE are rather carnivorous, and I doubt I could get my hubby to change too much, and I’ve often felt discouraged b/c when I ask to read some info I’ve been reading or kinda work towards being healthier with me, he’s sort of: “Well, whatever you put on my plate, I’ll eat.” but that’s not what i’m talking about and i don’t know how to get better understanding and support in the food arena. it’s probably the only area where we’re not on the same page. he just doesn’t really care about health stuff and I do – but I really really love to eat and to cook, so when I try to cut out or down on something, I struggle. I’ve realized I don’t do moderation well, lol!
I have lots of recipes I can share, so I LOVE the blog idea! I’m in! don’t know first thing about it, but I’d use it and help contribute if possible!
in HIm,
Amy
I think the blog is a good idea, I’m sorry I’m fairly computer illiterate. One based in stewardship and personal responsibility; faith in G-d’s Providence, not fear. A Titus 2 place of encouragment (though we may not all be older than the others). Educating oneself in order to make good decisions for our families; acceptance that things are changing again (I say again because history shows the world has always changed and shifted) so you can see a problem and deal with it, not the kind of acceptance that produces apathy. G-d doesn’t give us “a spirit of fear, but of Power, love and a sound mind.” I would be happy to contribute recipes, money saving tips and tricks, gardening, preserving, chickens, herbal medicinal helps, encouragement to those of us that live from scratch with chronic health problems or who have husbands with serious chronic health problems (or both as in my case), links to valuable info, etc. to be of help in the areas I’ve been learning and experiencing and enjoying the experience of others in those that I am lacking, categorized accordingly. Reviving skills that my great-grandmother had and the women before her knew to provide sustenance in the home. This is what women do-we create community. When we take care of our family, we then will be able to help others in their need when G-d gives us the opportunity. Individual charity-or in Judaism it’s Tzedakah or Justice-creating justice in this fallen world through our individual charity towards each other which shares the Love of G-d. I’ve already been part of a yahoo group called New Harvest Homestead that has been such a help to me over the years.
I think this is part of our calling in ‘schooling’ our children, too, IMO.
I named it at our home, self-sufficient and G-d dependant.
I’m getting ready to go to bed, but I wanted to pass along the link to the Family Grain Mill and the co-ops I know about; I suggest you call to see if they deliver to your area and then compare prices and find the coordinator. It will be a little effort on the front end but the money savings are worth the effort. I’m hoping to chime in more tomorrow as I have a lot on my mind! This is my third favorite topic-tied with history after Yeshua (Jesus) and homeschooling!
FGM- highly recommend, free shipping, check out the versatility-http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/family_grain_mills.aspx
co-ops: Azure Standard-http://www.azurestandard.com/
Country Life-http://www.clnf.org/
Frontier-http://www.frontiercoop.com/
Dutch Valley-http://www.dutchvalleyfoods.com/
Walton Feed-http://waltonfeed.com/
My co-op United Natural Foods(UNFI)-https://www.unfi.com/Default.aspx
BTW, for a first time grain purchase for gluten bread, I recommend hard white wheat for bread, starting out by splitting the recipe with unbleached flour (King Arthur’s is not bromated either) at first to adjust to change.
Gnowlfins is great, G-d HOnoring; highly recommend http://gnowfglins.com/ she teaches the proper preparation for real foods, not just real foods; our ancestors knew how to properly prepare them, which aided in their digestion. Sourdough is the most frugal (there is a free starter I can refer) and traditional bread and is multi-purpose for pancakes, waffles, etc. Second is a traditional ‘long rise’ bread (not as sour) that I just received a recipe too that resolves the phytic acid problem in certain grains without the extra step of soaking. I can send that here; I’ll be using it next myself. I also like the recipes and variety of prudence of Heavenly Homemakers-http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/
I have a tortillas recipe saved I’ll send when I find it (I saw it asked earlier).
Shalom, Rachel
Loving this thread! A while ago, it was my mission to get rid of the chemicals in my home as well as the cost associated w/ it. Here is my meager contribution to this wonderful thread…
As far as laundry soap, we use “soap nuts”. They are a natural dried berry and they work as well as any detergent I’ve ever tried. They are super cheap too. If you can catch a sale on http://www.naturoli.com you can get a great deal. I think I spend around $40 the last time I made a purchase about 6 or 7 months ago and I have only used half of my supply. They have a built in fabric softener so no need to add that cost either.
For hand soap, I squirt a tiny bit of Dawn dishliquid (very cheap + no sulphates) into the bottom of a foaming pump bottle and add water to the top. The only investment is the squirt bottle which is a bit more expensive than a regular hand pump dispenser.
My cleaning supplies consist of vinegar, baking soda and Borax in various mixtures. You can also use Apple Cider Vinegar w/ water to condition after you wash your hair w/ a mixture of Baking Soda and water.
For the dishwasher, I found an enviro friendly non toxic “BioKleen” powder. It was $9 for 64 loads as it says on the container, but I use less than half of the recommended amount and stretch it to over 130 loads for the $9…and my dishes are cleaner than if I had used cascade.
For Stainless Steel appliances wipe down w/ a damp rag, then go over w/ oil. I usually use coconut but use whatever cooking oil you have. Furniture polish is olive oil.
Hope some of this helps!!
Heather
Yes simple and non political, we can leave that to others to write about – but I see no point in scaring ourselves or alarming our families in anyway. I just want us to encourage each other in wholesome, thrifty living – where we put ourselves in a position to help and learn in a kind and gentle honest way. I was thinking back to my childhood and I am getting on in years, and my mum and dad lived a very simple and frugal life through necessity – we did not have a lot of money but I don’t ever remember feeling like I was lacking anything. We did things as a family or with our village neighbors and spent evenings together, mum would be finishing her chores, then she would knit or sew; dad would be reading and my sister and I would be reading or crafting or we would be playing a game. There was no technology worth speaking about, our TV back then had 3 channels, we had a radio and record player (old 78/45 type records) and that was it. We had no phone and no car. until I was 11 years old, we had to use the bus that came once in the morning and returned at night. We had a fire in the living room, and that was the only heat. I remember waking up to frost on the inside of my bedroom window in the mornings. I was thinking about all these things the other day – and how happy we all were – and how hard mum and dad worked in their large garden and mum sewing and canning, knitting and crocheting. I then thought how spoiled I am today – and I felt some shame at the waste and the fact that we take so many things for granted. It seemed to me that I needed to be more appreciative of the blessings and take less for granted and be a better steward – and then thought about the rising costs and thought, ok – wonder if others feel the prices rising and want to manage better. So here we are. Tomorrow I will look at a blog site and see what might be possible. I am sure I could learn and I am curious now. Thanks ladies for helping with this, I am excited about it.
Hey everyone! Sorry it’s taken me so long! We have had a very busy day, and I’m typing this from my phone as we drive home. I would LOVE to start the blog!! It’s not hard for me, since I already have one. I’ll PM those of you who have already sent me messages, and we can work out all the details. Thanks for being patient while I took so long to respond! Really excited!!
Blessings,
Lindsey
It never ceases to amaze me how God lines it all up and not only shows me what I need to do but how to do it. Our Pastor was just talking about how we have so much excess in our homes and if we sold some of it we could either get out of debit or help others who need it. We also had a visit from the house parents of the orphanage we support in Romania. Pastor mentioned that what they make in 1 month is less than we spend to put gas in our cars. Then I come here to see you all talking about being more frugal. Wonderful! Anyway I have only a few things I might contribute but I would be willing to help out in any way I can.
I am not good with words at all nor am I computer savvy so I guess I cannot be that helpful but I do have a few recipes and cleaning ideas. I do sew and do my best to repurpose items for the girls wardrobe when I can. I have made them dresses from old sheets and skirts that I no longer wear. I also try to repurpse stained shirts from my oldest for my younger to wear. I know it can not be a catch all website, but I will do my best to contribute what I can.
Linda,
I loved your post above. A friend and I were talking about our new group the other day and I told her one of the things that excited me about God waking us up to all this was the reestablishment of “community.” We’re all so busy nowadays and no one has time to talk and fellowship. We milk cows and folks look at us like we have a dozen heads but it used to be, in our small town, that that’s what you DID! And everyone would gather together to help one another then have a great meal afterward. We’ve lost that. Yes things are bad…really bad. We’re all busy…really busy. I understand all that, but I also understand that we need the BODY of Christ. Not just all the parts running off in all directions. I’m looking forward to seeing what God is doing.
Heather, I’ve wondered about the soap nuts. I’ve made my own laundry detergent for some time now but was curious about those. I just might have to try them. Farm clothes can get pretty dirty. And I love the idea about the hand soap. I’d love to try making soap but haven’t taken that plunge yet. I have the entire DVD set of the West ladies teaching various things. They stay checked out of my lending library all the time. I think I need to watch some of them again.
We use soap nuts for our cloth diapers (I would use them for other clothes but two of my non-diaper wearing kids are allergic to them : ( ). They work GREAT on cloth diapers so I’m guessing they would work for farm clothes too.
For our regular laundry, I make homemade liquid detergent that works great also.
I use baking soda/water and vinegar on my hair also. Usually I just use distilled vinegar since it’s cheaper but I do make rose vinegar whenever I can get roses. I just wait for them to get to the wilty stage (I like to enjoy them as flowers first). Then take off the petals and put them in a glass jar. Cover with distilled vinegar and let sit in a sunny window for a week. Drain off and use about 1/8 C of the liquid mixed with water. I can get two batches out of one jar of petals.
I would love to learn to sew so I could repurpose things better. I can do minor hand sewing but have never gotten farther than that. My 3 year old daughter is VERY tall and thin so sewing would help in keeping her in modest clothes too. Any ideas there? I’m a visual kinesthetic learner, if there is anything that would help me there.
Robin, who are the west ladies?
Also, regarding the soap nuts, I don’t know about farm clothes, but my husband is a commercial electrician and gets really dirty. Lately he has been working in manholes w/ lots of mud (Georgia Mud – red clay). I will spray some resolve when his clothes are caked w/ clay before throwing them in the wash, but other than that I’ve not had any cleaning issues w/ them and I have been using them for almost 2 years now. I think you can get a sample from the website to try them out for pretty cheap.
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