Plant a vegetable, fruit and herb garden. If you have a lawn, get rid of it or part of it and grow your own food. Start out small and grow things that are more expensive in the grocery isle such as baby tomatoes, red and yello peppers, berries, asparagus, basil, etc. If you are without a yard grow your own herbs and a cherry tomato plant in pots indoors. Your produce will be organic, incredibly fresh, very tasty and cheap!!
Eat Eggs. If you are unable to afford grass-fed meats or even ordinary meats, consume more eggs. They are considered one of the best complete proteins, they are full of omega 3s and healthy fats. Despite what you hear from the main stream medical field, cholesterol is not bad for you. Your brain is made up of cholesterol and its very critical to eat good fats. Keep the saturated fats and loose the trans fats. See more on cholesterol.
Get Chickens. If your eating more eggs, then it is so easy and practical to get your own chickens. Even if you are in city limits, some areas allow small game and chickens. We spend maybe $10 or less per month feeding our chickens. We easily use to spend $25 on eggs when buying them from the store, and they were not the free-range kind.
Use Solar and Wind Energy You can make your own energy, it’s easier than you think! See: Prudent Power
Move out of the City. If there is any possible way for you to live out of town (or even on the outskirts), then jump at it. It is the best way to begin living frugally.
Consume a little less meat but add on the fat. Fat is the longest burning fuel for our bodies, with protein next in line and then carbs. Studies show that eating good fat such as butter, olive oil and coconut oil does not make you fat. Too many processed carbs are the culprit for America’s weight madness. If you are unable to afford much meat, try cutting your meat proportion in half (for instance use only half the package of ground beef when making spaghetti sauce) and add a couple tablespoons of butter or coconut oil in place of the extra meat.]
Eat more Lentils. When properly prepared and eaten with lacto-fermented foods, lentils are very nutritious. The little legumes which are called “poor man’s meat” are high in protein, b-vitamins, minerals and the highest level of iron out of all vegetables sources. When eaten with rice, a complete protein is made. Eat with some veggies, lots of good fat such a butter, olive oil or coconut oil and you’ve got a hearty meal. You can also try making a stew with about a 1/4 of the meat you would usually use (save the rest for other meals) mixed with lentils, veggies, spices and stock, just stretch your meat. Yummy!
Simplify snacks and breakfast. I’ve found it very wise to eliminate a variety of snacking foods and stick with one basic staple. Many may think I’m nuts but I have to be honest. My daughter and I eat the same thing for breakfast almost everyday as well as anytime we need a snack between meals. I was inspired to do so when reading a book that wrote of the custom of eating the same millet porridge day after day in some African tribes. (And believe it or not, the tribes are very robust and healthy). So I came up with my own recipe: Everyday Porridge. It not only fills me up and hangs on but it eliminates the “need” for so many options and costs. Breakfast cereals are void of any real nutrients because they are all cooked at very high temps and they cost too much. You do not have to choose porridge as I have because of my gluten-sensitivities. Consider homemade bread with peanut butter or homemade granola. Make it simple and make it cost efficient.
Learn to do without. In many cultures, having very little is completely normal. Some eat without silverware, others eat their food without any sweeteners added, still others have no furniture or electricity but live very comfortably. What can you learn to let go of? I no longer use sweeteners for myself and have resorted just to forget about dessert. If I need something more after dinner, I eat my hot porridge, with a smile on my face too! I know a family of ten who make their own yogurt and eat it plain and the kids never make a peep about needing honey. This same principle goes beyond food. Can you give up going to the store when you feel like you need a new dress? Seriously peer into the lives of millions of second-world nations and see what you can truly live without. Americans are consumers but we need to start living like producers!!
Use your Library. The local library is an awesome resource just waiting to be used. Free books, magazines (yes, you can cancel your $25 subscription) DVDs, and music. If they don’t have what you want or need just ask them, and keep bugging them until they order it for you. If your tax money is going to them, then by all means use it for your whole family to enjoy!
Make your own laundry detergent. I use to make my own homemade laundry detergent but noticed that I could get the same outcome, maybe better, with just using about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax per load of laundry. It lasts me at least 2 months doing 4 loads per week. Borax is about $4.50 per box, so that comes out to about $2.25 per month for natural detergent that works really well.
Make your own vitamins and supplements. By far the best mineral supplement that our bodies can absorb and utilize is homemade chicken or beef stock. Consuming cultured or fermented foods with your meals provides you with a strong amount of absorbable vitamins, especially vitamin C. Eating healthy foods such as beef liver (high in iron), free range eggs (high in Vit E), raw dairy (vitamin A, D and Calcium) all contribute to your natural vitamin/mineral needs. Many times the supplements we buy are factory formulated and our bodies have a hard time absorbing the nutrients. Our cells seem to be able to easily grab the nutrients and hydration in stock and fermented foods compared to other foods.
Learn to sew, knit or crochet. Learning how to work with fabric and fibers can save you big bucks. You can make your own curtains, pillow cases, quilts, clothes, dish rags, cloth diapers, and cloth pads and so much more. You can be so creative with where you get you fabric, for instance I make dish rags out of old towels, and I use my hubby’s old dress shirts to make my two year old summer dresses. Flannel sheets from the thrift store are perfect for dust cloths, diapers and pads. Thirft store table cloths make great curtains. And many times older women have piles of collected fabric just waiting to be used for something useful.
Shop sales Shopping sales or using coupons use to be so foreign to me. But after seeing how easy and how beneficial it can be, I try to keep it in mind throughout my week. Most local grocers will advertise online or through newspapers what will be on sale that particular week. Experiment with making your weekly menu/grocery list incorporate what is on sale. Also if you have the freezer space, bulk up on the sale item. One time I found the “expensive” butter on sale for $1.50 so I bought 8 boxes to freeze even though I did not have butter on my list. Note: Places like Craigslist and local newspapers can have freezers for sale by owner or for free, so keep an eye on the listings if you are looking for one to buy.
Buy in bulk If you have a coop near by, or a natural food store that will special order something for you, buy your grains (wheat, rice, lentils, beans), sweeteners (honey, rapadura, stevia), herbs, soaps, or anything else you use allot in bulk sizes. I am so thrilled to live in Montana where I can use Azure Standard for all my natural food and bulk items. Check their site for your state. And get in touch with them about your local drop off site to avoid shipping. They have awesome prices!!!
Go fishing or hunting for your own food. If you hunt or fish your own meat, then you know exactly what your getting: the freshest, organic, free range, humanly raised animal meat!
Walk or ride a bike. I try to drive once a week to town to do errands and since my hubby works from home, we hardly use the car. I’m currently hoping we get rid of the car altogether and just use a taxi once a week and bicycles for getting to our hiking spots, just think of all that money spent on gas, the car payment, upkeep and insurance. At least driving less, means less gas, upkeep and less opportunities to buy something you don’t really need. Our friends live an hour from town and come only once a month :0 so I think I can handle once a week.
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