Tips to Homesteading

Posts Tagged ‘save money’

One tip to homesteading is not so much being a ‘pack-rat’ (although I am guilty of that with glass jars), but looking at ways to reuse something that might otherwise be thrown away. Today I want to share a pictorial tutorial of just what I’m talking about when it comes to saving ‘trash’ and making good use of it.

Thanks to when our dog, Chewbacka [nicknamed 'Chewy'], was a puppy, a chewed up hose has been coiled in our shed for months, almost 2 years. I wouldn’t throw it away because I just knew there was something I could do with it, eventually.

Low and behold, the other day, while going to dig up some purple potatoes, I found that someone had left our pitch fork (of 15 years) out under some bushes last fall and to say it’s weathered now is an understatement:

But it’s still quite sturdy and, frankly we don’t want to buy something if we can already use what we have , so my wheels in the wheels in my head started turning and I grabbed the exacto-knife, scissors and some electrical tape:

With the scissors, I cut four equal pices of hose, then with the exacto-knife, I split them in the center: Look at that guilty culprit in the background….

I wrapped them around the weathered, rough handle of the pitch-fork by opening them up at the split:

Then wrapped it with electrical tape:

The gripes are cushioned and smooth. No splinters and less blisters now – time to get to work!

Now my husband jokes with me that there’s no room for being lazy and just working for 3 hours in the garden, with this ‘cush-handle’ I should be able to dig and pitch all day long! Oh my! What have I done??

Seriously though, reusing things that may have thought of as trash or something not worth the time to keep is one of the top tips to developing a good homestead. Of course it’s a money saver too!

By sharing these tips, I hope it inspires you to look outside the ordinary and challenge yourself to make the most of what you already have!

Best Blessings and Happy Homesteading!

Donna

Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.

Technorati Tags: homestead, homesteading, recycle, reuse, save money, tips, trash

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If you’ve not been homesteading long or are just beginning, it may be tempting to go to your local farmer’s market and buy some of those nice, pest-resistant, hybrid plants that are supposedly easier to grow. After all, they are ‘made’ to be more user friendly right? Well, that depends.

They are often genetically modified plants (GMO) that have had artificial genes grafted into their make up to make them resist draught or blight or bugs. That’s why some tomatoes don’t really taste like a tomato.  Not only that, but by being hybrids, they are sterile or infertile for next year’s seeds. The plant you grow this year will not produce seeds for next year’s garden. You get to go spend money again on another hybrid seed.

Heirloom seeds will give you seeds to use each year from the crops they grow. Eat them this year, dry and save some for next year. Repeat. Now that’s money in the bank!

Take a look at this place that offers heirloom seeds with fast, free shipping:

Grow a Patriot Garden

Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, GMO, grocery savings, heirloom seeds, homestead, homesteading, hybrid, organic gardening, save money, seeds, sterile, tips, tuesday's tip, vegetable garden, vegetables

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Whether you live in a an urban apartment or on a ranch on a huge multi-acre spread, organizing is one of the top resolutions for many people this New Year.  It usually comes in third on the list, right behind health related and financial related issues. I believe that if this were the only goal for the New Year, it would do the trick. I am not making a criticism, because I am in great need of taking my own advice on this. Being organized helps in so many areas of life on the homestead, but for the sake of this one entry, let’s just focus on saving money.

Look around. How much is out of place, over cluttered or just plain messy?  (Oh I hope you can’t see into my kitchen pantry through this blog)

When we are organized we:

1. Save Time: When we can find stuff, we don’t waste time hunting it. And for everyone from the homemaker to the CEO, time is money. Saving time now means using it for income, chores or to spending time more wisely later (like with family or on projects around the homestead).
2. Save Brain Power: When our minds are free of ‘controllable’ stresses, we can be more creative in ways to earn more income or become more creative to save the income. Disorganization is a number one stressor in daily life on the homestead. Well, for that matter anywhere. 
3. Save on Duplicate Items: Have you ever bought something because you couldn’t find an item that you just ‘knew’ you had one around somewhere? Then when going through a cluttered cabinet you find the first one? Isn’t that just lovely?  Organizing will help avoid that duplicate purchase expense.
4. Save on Groceries: A planned menu and all ingredients in the house helps to keep us from eating out and keeps tabs on the food expenses. Shopping based on the sales or seasons is also an organizational issue. This again adds up to money saved, just because we organized it.
5. Save on wear and tear: Upkeep of vehicles, appliances, smoke alarms and more can be organized on the calendar. Check them and make sure to care for those ‘less thought of ‘ items once in awhile. This organizational step can save money in the long run, but more importantly, it’s for the safety of your family.

There are so many examples of how simplely organizing can save money.

So if I could pick only ONE New Year’s Resolution for 2009 – let it be to GET ORGANIZED on this homestead. I’m excited to watch how far this one reaches into our lives in areas other than money!

Best Blessings!

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Tips to saving grocery money: Stop Tossing Tomatoes

Technorati Tags: budget, food, frugal, grocery savings, homestead, left overs, menu, save money, savings, stretch gorceries, tips, tomato

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