Now, for me frugal used to mean simply being good with money or knowing how to budget. For the most part, except that damn grocery budget, we know how to manage our money. It hasn't helped that our paychecks have been slashed in the last two years and we find ourselves still living paycheck to paycheck. But, for the most part, we have maintained our creature comforts.
Frugal means so much more. It means a paring down, choosing simplicity, focusing on what we need rather than what we want. For example, I don't buy paper towels every month. When I do buy them, I buy an economy size bundle of the store brand for $12.50 (and most times I have a $2 off coupon, but let's leave that out of the mix right now), which brings my grand total to maybe $75 a year for paper towels...maybe, if I buy them every two months, which I'm not sure that I do. It's not THAT much money, right? I'm not flying through them, right? Right! It's all right! But, I'm pretty sure frugal means that even though $75 as a high estimate for paper towels is pretty reasonable in the course of a year, I don't need them. So, what did I do today? I found a clearance rack of washcloths. For six, they were just $2.50. I bought eighteen for the kitchen and twelve for the upstairs bathroom. Right there, I just spent what I spend for a pack of paper towels. I bought two baskets for a total of $20. The plan is to transition out of paper towels because I don't need them, I'll save some money, and it's better for the environment. That's being frugal and my first step to treating my home like a homestead.
Having withdrawn myself from Facebook and the daily drama of the outside world, I have been spending A LOT of time on Pinterest. I'm trying to spend more time on cleaning, but this puppy is really getting in the way of that. This past week I've made a list of small things I can do right now to start becoming a suburban homesteader:
1. Switch from paper towels to cloth.
2. Can jelly. I usually put up strawberry jam in June, but my kids have been after me for grape jelly, so I bought some grape and apple juice and pectin. I have all the canning materials for that already. (And a little secret, with jelly and jam, you don't need a canner. You can flip the jars upside down for five minutes and it does the same thing. This apparently isn't a recommended method and if you ever want to compete at a fair, you'll be disqualified, but I've been doing it for ten years with no problem.)
3. Plant an indoor herb garden. Cut herbs are expensive! So I bought seed packets for a little over $2.50 a piece. I already have the pots, so I just need some potting dirt and plastic trays so the pots don't leak. My only problem is finding a good windowsill where the puppy and the boys won't mess with them. I dream of having an old farmhouse with deep set sills, but again, I'm working with what I got! I think I have an idea. It might require rehousing some books, but I have a sill and a somewhat sturdy bookshelf.
4. Stop buying instant pancake mix and make my own. Seriously, it's not that hard. My husband looked at me like I was dabbling in witchery when I told him of my plan. It's flour and other baking stuff and if you use dry milk, you only have to add water, egg, and a couple tablespoons of oil. I haven't actually made the pancakes yet, but I'm mean, they are pancakes! The recipe I found is pretty much like every recipe I have ever seen for pancakes, and the fact that I've been buying store brand mix for the past ten years shows we're not that picky over our pancakes. I don't spend a lot on pancake mix, maybe $2 a box, so I'm not too sure how much I'll actually save, but my guess is something. A few dollars over the course of the year, I'm sure.
So February wasn't a total waste in working towards a monthly challenge and my resolutions. Sure, it's just the last week that I'm actually putting into effect any plans, but I think the above ideas are an excellent start. I don't in any way feel overwhelmed by them, and they are all things I can do in my kitchen, which is where I pretty much reside the majority of the day with this puppy as she wreaks havoc in our bedrooms and basement family room. (She hasn't quite figured out the going down or up steps to go to the back door and right her bells to pee.)
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