One of my reasons for homesteading was to simplify, slow down, and make the things I did more meaningful and grounded; I wanted an authentic life. Being ‘authentic’ for me, meant I didn’t want to be part of the rampant culture of excess and consumerism. Don’t get me wrong I happen to enjoy several things that are produced in such a society but a balance would be nice. Our society races by at such a furious pace, make money, spend money, make more money, spend more money and so the cycle grinds on.

 

To me, homesteading is two steps back from the daily grind, I am fortunate that my husband worked so hard at his military career and has a retirement that keeps us secure in this homesteading life. We could still both be working, we are relatively young and could bring home a lot more money, but then what? Would I see my husband and our children at the end of a long tiring day for an hour or two and fall into bed exhausted to wake up and do it again?  I was going to get a full-time job recently and my husband Greg stopped me and said don’t do it if you don’t love it, instead think of ways to save more money. That made me stop and think, how much money can I save? While it won’t be as much as I would make working outside the home it would be worth it if I could save a percentage of that money and be home with my family doing the things I love. So, I have made saving money my part-time job instead.  Not everyone has a retirement to start a homestead on but everyone can save a few dollars here and there to get your homestead started.

 

 

To start our money saving project we spent as we normally did and saved every receipt. By analyzing all of our receipts we could see exactly what items we bought, an online bank statement only gives you the total amount.

So after 3 months of normal spending, we were properly appalled at the large amount of wasted money, money that was spent but brought us no joy or security in our lives.  This list is one I put together to remind me that it is possible to live a simpler life. Some of the things on this list are penny savers and some are large dollar savers. All of them save my family money in the course of a year. They also make me reevaluate what a household needs vs what a household wants.

 

Food Savings

 

For one month track where your food dollars are going. That means every receipt, every coffee on the go, and every grocery trip. I recently read an article that claimed people on average are spending 44% of their food dollars eating out, those receipts add up.

 

1.  Buy in bulk, Spices baking products, rice, flour, and beans are all cheaper when bought in bulk.
2. Shop local, farmers markets, farm stands and u pick farms are often significantly lower in price than a grocery store for much fresher food
3. Grow a garden, especially if you plant from seeds your garden will cost a few dollars for a season worth of food.
4. Shop at discount grocery stores. They offer discounted, overstocked and closeout products from name brand and private label suppliers. You can find killer deals that will help with that budget.
5. Grow your own meat, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, and pigs are my favorite. They have a fast grow time (compared to a cow) decent feed to meat ratio and are a fun experience.
6. Eat in season. Eating in season means that you eat the food that is ripe and ready at that time of year. For example, traditionally oranges are in season during the winter, so prices are cheaper during their peak season rather than buying oranges in the summertime. Most produce is cheaper in season.
7. Use online shopping apps, large brand name stores have coupon apps that can be added to the app and used at the store. No more clipping coupons, deals are just a finger swipe away. My local grocery store Safeway often offers $10 off if you spend $75.
8. Learn to can and preserve, Jams, jellies and fresh seasonal fruit are a wonderful place to start.
9. If you work outside the home, pack a lunch, bring coffee from home and always carry a water bottle. Small purchases add up.
10. Limit eating out to special occasions or when it matters most and not just for convenience sake.

 

 

 

 

Energy and Fuel Savings

 

Energy cost for the home and transportation can account for 25% of a budget.

This is a section of money savings that will be cost-effective over the length of a year

 

1. Use passive cooling whenever possible, we open our windows at night to cool down the house and shut them in the morning to keep the heat out, fans circulating the air make it feel cooler in the house. If you live in an area where AC is needed then set the thermostat to 70°F.
2. We use firewood to heat our home in the winter, the wood is from dead trees that we cut ourselves, time-consuming but this saves us over $1000 a year.
3. A heating blanket in the winter will keep you warm allowing you to keep the thermostat lower and heating blankets use very little energy compared to a furnace.
4. Seal and insulate heating ducts in your home. Uninsulated ductwork can cause 30% energy loss.
5. Install a clothesline. Americans spend $9 billion a year on the electricity used to dry their clothes. An electric dryer uses as much electricity as a clothes washer, refrigerator, and dishwasher combined.
6. Wash your clothing on the cold water setting.
7. Install energy efficient led light bulbs in your home, while costly to purchase initially, ENERGY STAR-qualified LEDs use only 20%–25% of the energy and last up to 25 times longer than the traditional incandescent bulbs
8. Car fuel consumption is a big one in our house, we live about 10 miles from town and we have kids who participate in activities and sports. We travel into town multiple times a day. We carpool with our neighbor’s kids when we can, and we try and bundle our trips. If a kid has a music lesson we shop on that day also.
9. Try hypermiling, this means you are driving in a way that makes your car even more fuel efficient up to 37% more! Steady acceleration and less braking equal savings. Regularly scheduled maintenance on your vehicle will help keep fuel efficiency at its peak.
10. Ride your bike when you can, biking is a great way to get around and short hops in town use more gas than highway driving.

 

 

Household Purchases

 

1. Purchase a used vehicle, we no longer purchase new cars or trucks. Just driving a car off the lot depreciates your new vehicle. We now purchase used vehicles and pay cash for them. When we buy a car we start saving just a little bit for our next car, usually about every 6 years we purchase a different car. With the money we save on car payments, we are able to buy a car outright.
2. Learn to fix your vehicles, homesteading machines, and implements. YouTube is magic.
3. DIY a project before you hire someone to do it for you. Rarely do we hire out anything on our property. Did I mention YouTube is magic? The internet makes it possible for anyone to find information on a project.
4. Recycle and upcycle items that you already own to give them new life and a new look.
5. Hit garage sale, Facebook wanted ads or Craigslist for great savings on household items. Always look for gently used before buying new. Many items have been used just once or twice
6. Kids consignment clothing store are a wonderful way of saving money in the household. When your children’s clothes are outgrown take them in and receive cash or a credit to buy more clothing. This works well for adults also. Halloween costumes, formal dresses, and accessories are a wonderful thing to thrift shop for.
7. When you do buy new clothing buy a quality item that will last for years instead of just one season, of course quickly growing children don’t always fall into this category, but if you have multiple children quality clothing can be passed down from child to child and remain in good condition.
8. Instead of joining a gym, walk or bike where you need to go instead of driving. Start a yoga group or find a walking or jogging partner if you like working out with people.
9. Form a tool share. Some tools and machines only are used or needed once or twice a year and are expensive. A tool share group makes it possible to purchase and share equipment for a fraction of the cost, For example, log splitters, meat grinders, chicken pluckers, rototillers and power tools. (obviously, these are the things I want).
10. Learn to cut hair, hairdressers are not cheap, again YouTube!

 

Some Thoughts on Societal Activities and Traditions

 

Christmas and holidays are soooo expensive, I have 4 children and I used to dread the holidays and the expectations of purchasing items out of obligation, by obligation I mean the societal pressure of buy buy buy!  If I didn’t my children would be crushed by my grinch-like behavior and be forever scarred. Well turns out not so much, I realized traditions and love are the important things surrounding holidays. Those are the cherished things I remember from the holidays as a child, not the presents and toys soon forgotten, but the smell of a tree at Christmas time the laughter of my family at the table.  Those are the memories of holidays and traditions I want my children to have. Now we do the “Want, Need, Wear, Read” idea of Christmas giving. The idea is that a child receives one item they really want, one item they need, one item of clothing that they can wear, and one that they can read. Older kids can also help with the less fortunate during the holidays. Soup kitchens and holiday toy drives are wonderful ways that kids can volunteer during the holidays.

Entertainment can cost a family thousands of dollars a year. While this is a valuable activity for making memories it can be achieved in other ways. Think outside the box for entertainment, instead of going to the movies borrow a movie from your library. Instead of flying somewhere exotic, travel somewhere within driving distance. Spend a day exploring a state wildlife refuge or a national park, go to a lake and spend it swimming, plan a picnic, visit your farmers market, go camping,  all of these activities are inexpensive and enjoyable for the whole family.

 

This list could go on forever, once you start looking at the different ways you can save money on a daily basis you cant stop. The habit of saving money gives me a deep satisfaction and the ability to find out what really matters in life without the allure of over-consumerism and stress.

I would love to hear your money saving tips, tricks, and ideas!