Super Cheap LCHF?
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KnitOrMiss
Posts: 10,104 Member
All:
If this resource is already out there, please let me know. If not, here goes:
I'm on a super short budget, like $60 for two people for two weeks. I have pantry basics (NOT LCHF friendly on all of them...no specific LCHF items) and a couple things in the freezer, but not normally enough for the two of us for two weeks.
I'm LCHF...he is whatever I set in front of him that is edible...
I'm about to go buy a huge deal of eggs, because at least I know those are good and inexpensive... I'm hoping to find butter on sale, but who knows...
Thanks in advance to all for the ideas.
Hugs,
Carly
P.S. Today is only day 5 for me, so I'm still in the beginnings...
If this resource is already out there, please let me know. If not, here goes:
I'm on a super short budget, like $60 for two people for two weeks. I have pantry basics (NOT LCHF friendly on all of them...no specific LCHF items) and a couple things in the freezer, but not normally enough for the two of us for two weeks.
I'm LCHF...he is whatever I set in front of him that is edible...
I'm about to go buy a huge deal of eggs, because at least I know those are good and inexpensive... I'm hoping to find butter on sale, but who knows...
Thanks in advance to all for the ideas.
Hugs,
Carly
P.S. Today is only day 5 for me, so I'm still in the beginnings...
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Do you have any local places you can hit up? Try local farmers for meat, eggs and butter!0
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Not really. I'm in a relatively small town but none of the farmers sell their goods outright. Our local market only runs May to November so we're a way out.0
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I'm in the same boat. I'm currently eating a tin of tuna, with mayo and cucumber. Low carb and tasty. And also very filling. I bought a load of eggs. I boiled some up to snack on and also to add to meals to fill me up. Minced/ground beef is cheap and versatile and easily stretched. Tbh, this week I have struggled with the food shop but we managed to buy 9 days of dinners for 4 of us (kids don't eat low carb) and some essential items and we spent £26. Its gonna be a boring week food wise, but we are on plan.
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Buying in bulk and freezing perishables are going to be your friend.
You can usually pick up bags of non-starchy veggies in the freezer section for around $1 per 1 pound bag.
Watch for sales on non-perishables and freezables, like coconut oil, butter, and canned tuna, and stock up when you can (Tropical Traditions often has 50% off sales on their big things of coconut oil; save up money if you can and watch for one of those sales and grab a gallon or 5, it should last you several months). Kroger has the big bottles of castille soap that's usually $15 for $10 right now, so I bought like three.
Don't be afraid to order stuff online. Places like Amazon carry various homegoods and whatnot (cleaning supplies, detergents, shampoos, etc) for cheaper than you can get in the store. This allows you to save money for other purposes (like food).
Save money elsewhere by doing things like making your own laundry detergent (2c borax + 2c washing soda + 1 4oz bar soap (fels naptha works well; it can be cheap soap) = ~6 months of laundry at 1tbsp per load), shampoo, cleaner, air freshener, deodorant, etc. This also allows you to buy the constituent parts in bulk, because there's a ton of crossover (seriously, I should buy stock in Arm & Hammer for how much baking and washing soda I go through), saving even more money. You can do the same with cosmetics and over the counter medicines (I've got a couple of jars of oils currently steeping with herbs, awaiting being made into salves, both of which ultimately end up far cheaper than their store-bought counterparts, and arguably more versatile). For stuff like this, I highly recommend perusing wellnessmama.com and thecoconutmama.com.
Also, try not to buy anything (nonfood) that can't be reused or used for multiple purposes. For example, I don't buy paper napkins. Cloth ones or paper towels fill that role just as well. I also keep any glass jars I get (especially the peanut butter and coconut oil ones) to use for storing anything liquid or semi-liquid (saves from having to buy containers and starts crowding out plastics). Old t-shirts can be repurposed to make cloth grocery bags or wash rags. Shampoo or liquid soap bottles can be reused for homemade products.
Costco, Sam's Club, and/or Gordon Food Service Marketplace are your friends (I prefer GFS, because there's no membership fee, but I don't know if there's any near you).
If you can, find a local butcher and ask about their pork and beef fat scraps and learn to render your own lard and tallow. You can often get the fat for about $1/lb (or even free), which yields a fair amount of rendered fat and (for lard, at least) an awesome low-carb snack (cracklings). This will give you a bunch of cooking fat to work with.0 -
Okay... On the laundry soap and stuff, I've already looked up recipes, but hadn't needed it yet (I'm SOOOOO behind on laundry because my washer doesn't agitate right and I loathe spending hours upon hours at the laundry mat), but I already have the Fels Naptha soap. Basically just hadn't done it yet due to storage.
I'm trying hard to sell myself on the personal care products... I know I should. I'm just not on board yet. It's kind of terrifying, really. I love the idea of oils and salves and such (I bought some oils from a local vendor last tax return and loved them...still haven't used them all up.), but every time I've looked, even at bulkapothocary.com, it is all so expensive!
No Costco, Sam's, or GFS that I know of within 45 minutes of me, which means out of the question at the moment. Amazon I can buy into, but usually I don't have that much money to spend at once. Honestly, I can't meet all my monthly bills at the moment due to some outstanding stuff, so struggling to find even a few extra pennies is exhausting.
And consider me overwhelmed. I know basically how to render fat, but make my own lard and tallow? My guy already complains when foods are greasy... How do I do this and compromises? He loves cracklings and pork rinds and all that. He even liked the Oopsie pancake-ish things I made. Said he would eat them. But I know he won't give up all his carbs. He lives on Pepsi (swears it helps him self-regulate his hypoglycemia, and no matter what I show him, I can't convince him otherwise. Just have to show him through better health and food). I know how to cool with oil and such...some with butter, but I've no idea how to cook with lard (I know it is like the natural version of shortening, and I'm not afraid of it in general...just don't know how to use it) and I've never heard anything good about tallow, because all my knowledge pertains to how it is made from roadkill and used in makeup... So I'm super overwhelmed....
Oh, and Castille soap? I think you told me about this already...but what is it again? Like a liquid soap?
P.S. I did buy a huge bunch of eggs...like 30 of them because I knew that would help. Braum's has butter at like $2.89/lb...better and cheaper than elsewhere... Aside from that.... I got some pork loin on sale (was on the super reduced aisle) and made a stir fry with a ton of veggies for dinner, but I know I didn't have enough fats there... At a loss for how to add them. Should I have cooked it in the little bit of bacon grease I managed to save? I have about half of it left in the freezer... I know it is fairly lean itself, but it was cheaper than any other meat by pound last night at the store...0 -
To add fats, ask your butcher for beef fat scraps or any other fat scraps, and render them yourself and use just like you would bacon fat. Add this fat to everything! Stir fry your frozen veggies in bacon grease, lard, or tallow. Then add butter! Delicious and cheap.0
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We mostly have chains here, like Walmart, as we're a small town, but I'll ask around... Thanks!!!!0
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »Okay... On the laundry soap and stuff, I've already looked up recipes, but hadn't needed it yet (I'm SOOOOO behind on laundry because my washer doesn't agitate right and I loathe spending hours upon hours at the laundry mat), but I already have the Fels Naptha soap. Basically just hadn't done it yet due to storage.
I'm trying hard to sell myself on the personal care products... I know I should. I'm just not on board yet. It's kind of terrifying, really. I love the idea of oils and salves and such (I bought some oils from a local vendor last tax return and loved them...still haven't used them all up.), but every time I've looked, even at bulkapothocary.com, it is all so expensive!
No Costco, Sam's, or GFS that I know of within 45 minutes of me, which means out of the question at the moment. Amazon I can buy into, but usually I don't have that much money to spend at once. Honestly, I can't meet all my monthly bills at the moment due to some outstanding stuff, so struggling to find even a few extra pennies is exhausting.
And consider me overwhelmed. I know basically how to render fat, but make my own lard and tallow? My guy already complains when foods are greasy... How do I do this and compromises? He loves cracklings and pork rinds and all that. He even liked the Oopsie pancake-ish things I made. Said he would eat them. But I know he won't give up all his carbs. He lives on Pepsi (swears it helps him self-regulate his hypoglycemia, and no matter what I show him, I can't convince him otherwise. Just have to show him through better health and food). I know how to cool with oil and such...some with butter, but I've no idea how to cook with lard (I know it is like the natural version of shortening, and I'm not afraid of it in general...just don't know how to use it) and I've never heard anything good about tallow, because all my knowledge pertains to how it is made from roadkill and used in makeup... So I'm super overwhelmed....
Oh, and Castille soap? I think you told me about this already...but what is it again? Like a liquid soap?
P.S. I did buy a huge bunch of eggs...like 30 of them because I knew that would help. Braum's has butter at like $2.89/lb...better and cheaper than elsewhere... Aside from that.... I got some pork loin on sale (was on the super reduced aisle) and made a stir fry with a ton of veggies for dinner, but I know I didn't have enough fats there... At a loss for how to add them. Should I have cooked it in the little bit of bacon grease I managed to save? I have about half of it left in the freezer... I know it is fairly lean itself, but it was cheaper than any other meat by pound last night at the store...
The easiest way to answer the castille soap question is to just show you.
Google Maps says there's a Sam's Club about half an hour from you, which isn't bad given that the idea would be that you go there something like once a month and stock up on stuff (going by that, even 45-60 minutes isn't bad when you think about it).
Tallow is the name for the fat from any ruminents. This includes cows, deer, and elk. The tallow you'd get from a butcher will most likely be beef tallow. Its unrendered form is called suet. The kind sold in retail for human food is not likely to be made from roadkill.
Making your own lard and tallow is just rendering the fat. You then use them in the same places you'd use butter or bacon grease (bacon grease is basically just lard). And yes, save any leftover fat from cooking if you're not using it in the dish. When I was making a lot of bacon, I kept a bowl with a strainer on top on the counter to pour any leftover grease from it to use later. This way is like pennies -- you might not have much from one, but they add up.
If you ever make bread, try replacing the butter (or other fat it calls for) with lard. You'll never want to go back!
Lard and tallow have similar properties as butter, so it won't make foods any more greasy than what butter already does. It will impart a slightly different taste (and in the case of baked goods, texture), but that's where experimenting and learning what oils work best with what dishes comes in.
The easiest way to break him of the Pepsi is to just not buy it from the store. Seriously, that's a rather expensive habit if you can barely afford the bills. I'd argue he's using the hypoglycemia thing to justify his habit. It's the soda drinker's equivalent of "I'm not addicted, I can quit any time I want." Seriously, your blood stream can only hold about 5g of sugar, or about a teaspoon. Not anywhere near 40g found in a 12oz can of Pepsi. So, unless he's doing it by taking a sip once every few hours and he goes a week on a single can, I call *kitten*.
If by "he lives on Pepsi," you mean he drinks it constantly, then odds are, you're going through, what? 2-3 12-can cases a week (at least)? That's $10-15+ you could spend on real food, right there (and more if he's buying 20oz bottles). Tell him he can have some sugar in water if he really needs it for his "hypoglycemia" -- it will have the same effect. Once you get him in the habit of eating real food, he won't have that issue anymore, anyway (I've seen it first hand with two people who used to have the same issue).
If he still does legitimately need some form of carbs in his diet to keep from a total crash and burn, then buy rice. It's cheap and unlike the Pepsi, it actually provides some nutrition. $10 of jasmine rice will go infinitely farther than $10 of Pepsi. Top it with generous amounts of butter, or even some cheese (or home made cheese sauce), and you have a delicious side dish made with real food.
For the stir fry, the easy way is to add a bunch of meat to it. Cook it all in coconut oil, butter, or other complementary oil. Top it with some home made yum yum sauce, and you're golden.
What's so scary about the personal care products? What I've found to help is to start with a cleaning product. My "gateway item" was the laundry detergent. I then got into soap due to a growing number of skin issues. It just kind of snowballed from there, especially as I started trying to reduce my exposure to endocrine disrupters and whatnot since I've been left to my own devices for dealing with my PCOS.
When it comes to the oils, you don't have to use the super-expensive ones like emu or jojoba. Simple/common ones like sweet almond, castor, olive, and coconut are sufficient for most purposes. The same goes for essential oils if you want to start getting into that. Don't try to get the expensive ones like Ylang Ylang or Rose right off the bat. Instead, get a couple of the simpler ones like lavender, peppermint, and lemongrass. You can get half a dozen of the most common and inexpensive ones for about $20.
Finally, don't look just at the price tag for a given unit of item, especially when buying in bulk. You have to work out the price per use and number of uses to see where the savings is, as well as the effect of the item on the family ($15 in veggies will make your family a ton healthier than $15 in soda, for example). A pound of allspice powder, for example, may cost $15, but that will last you for a year or more of regular use (seriously, a pound of any dried herb or spice is a ton). So while that pound may be $15, you get 10 times (or more) product than the little $3-$5 container in the regular grocery store. Likewise with the home made personal care stuff. Yes, the essential oil is $5, but it has 100 "servings" and 500 different uses that replace products that are ultimately more expensive.
You don't have to go out and buy everything in bulk right this minute, either. Buy one bulk item this week, then buy a different one next week and so on and so forth. Use that extra $15 you saved by not buying the Pepsi to get you started. Also, you're not far off from a good time to start doing it this way, as you have your tax return coming up. Use that to stock up on staple foods like cheap cuts of meat and frozen veggies. 0 -
I found this post through a link you supplied on on of my other questions, so thanks a ton! Before I started LCHF dieting I did monthly meal planning through a website. I have to travel an hour to Walmart, but do it once every two weeks because our local store is crazy expensive and very low on selection. Anyway, when I did the meal planning on a budget before I was able to buy 24 meals (a month for us cause I only cook one meal a day and we have 'leftover' days) for our family of 5 and it only cost me $168. That is at least a third of what I used to spend just winging it. When I started LCHF I searched for the same sort of meal planning services there was nothing available. There were a few low carb plans but thy were not budget friendly, and the budget friendly plans are loaded with carbs, I was expressing my frustration to my husband and he suggested that I put together some sort of LCHF budget friendly meal plans. He said if I was searching for it then surely someone else was. Would anyone be interested in this? It wouldn't be a full daily plan, but would have one home cooked family meal per day.0
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I found this post through a link you supplied on on of my other questions, so thanks a ton! Before I started LCHF dieting I did monthly meal planning through a website. I have to travel an hour to Walmart, but do it once every two weeks because our local store is crazy expensive and very low on selection. Anyway, when I did the meal planning on a budget before I was able to buy 24 meals (a month for us cause I only cook one meal a day and we have 'leftover' days) for our family of 5 and it only cost me $168. That is at least a third of what I used to spend just winging it. When I started LCHF I searched for the same sort of meal planning services there was nothing available. There were a few low carb plans but thy were not budget friendly, and the budget friendly plans are loaded with carbs, I was expressing my frustration to my husband and he suggested that I put together some sort of LCHF budget friendly meal plans. He said if I was searching for it then surely someone else was. Would anyone be interested in this? It wouldn't be a full daily plan, but would have one home cooked family meal per day.
I would!0 -
HA I will add one little warning when you get started making your own oils and slaves and cleaning products. Once you do it it is so fun it becomes addicting. Almost as much as that pepsi. I made all my own salves for my psoriasis. Face creams just feel good lotions lip balms. It is endless and so fun. Give it a try.0
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Frozen veggies and frozen chicken breasts really help my budget. Also, family packs of chicken drumsticks. I usually get a 12 pack for $3.50 or so.0
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Dragonwolf wrote: »KnitOrMiss wrote: »Okay... On the laundry soap and stuff, I've already looked up recipes, but hadn't needed it yet (I'm SOOOOO behind on laundry because my washer doesn't agitate right and I loathe spending hours upon hours at the laundry mat), but I already have the Fels Naptha soap. Basically just hadn't done it yet due to storage.
I'm trying hard to sell myself on the personal care products... I know I should. I'm just not on board yet. It's kind of terrifying, really. I love the idea of oils and salves and such (I bought some oils from a local vendor last tax return and loved them...still haven't used them all up.), but every time I've looked, even at bulkapothocary.com, it is all so expensive!
No Costco, Sam's, or GFS that I know of within 45 minutes of me, which means out of the question at the moment. Amazon I can buy into, but usually I don't have that much money to spend at once. Honestly, I can't meet all my monthly bills at the moment due to some outstanding stuff, so struggling to find even a few extra pennies is exhausting.
And consider me overwhelmed. I know basically how to render fat, but make my own lard and tallow? My guy already complains when foods are greasy... How do I do this and compromises? He loves cracklings and pork rinds and all that. He even liked the Oopsie pancake-ish things I made. Said he would eat them. But I know he won't give up all his carbs. He lives on Pepsi (swears it helps him self-regulate his hypoglycemia, and no matter what I show him, I can't convince him otherwise. Just have to show him through better health and food). I know how to cool with oil and such...some with butter, but I've no idea how to cook with lard (I know it is like the natural version of shortening, and I'm not afraid of it in general...just don't know how to use it) and I've never heard anything good about tallow, because all my knowledge pertains to how it is made from roadkill and used in makeup... So I'm super overwhelmed....
Oh, and Castille soap? I think you told me about this already...but what is it again? Like a liquid soap?
P.S. I did buy a huge bunch of eggs...like 30 of them because I knew that would help. Braum's has butter at like $2.89/lb...better and cheaper than elsewhere... Aside from that.... I got some pork loin on sale (was on the super reduced aisle) and made a stir fry with a ton of veggies for dinner, but I know I didn't have enough fats there... At a loss for how to add them. Should I have cooked it in the little bit of bacon grease I managed to save? I have about half of it left in the freezer... I know it is fairly lean itself, but it was cheaper than any other meat by pound last night at the store...
The easiest way to answer the castille soap question is to just show you.
Google Maps says there's a Sam's Club about half an hour from you, which isn't bad given that the idea would be that you go there something like once a month and stock up on stuff (going by that, even 45-60 minutes isn't bad when you think about it).
What's so scary about the personal care products? What I've found to help is to start with a cleaning product. My "gateway item" was the laundry detergent. I then got into soap due to a growing number of skin issues. It just kind of snowballed from there, especially as I started trying to reduce my exposure to endocrine disrupters and whatnot since I've been left to my own devices for dealing with my PCOS.
Ok im going to chime in here a little bit. We live on a 'hobby farm' (meaning a little farm that isnt a huge money making conglomerate farm) and live $200 a year above the poverty line. That means we dont qualify for food stamps or government help at all above a small subsidy, which was less this year due to politics and our state deciding not to increase medicad limits, for my husbands health insurance. We have a family of 4 basically, one with major mental problems that require a whole lot of medication and vitamins a month to manage. So our budget is tighter than a shoe string and one problem can wipe us out for awhile.
In order to feed all of us on a LC/HF diet I have to plan, plan a lot. I do meal planning on a monthly basis. I get a big desk calender on sale at the end of the year or beginning of the next and hang it on the wall. Then I plan my meals around what meats I have. So if I bought a big pork loin, Ill cut it up into 5lb sections and freeze those sections. Then when i cook one, ill cook it in the crock pot with some broth and light spices. That night we might have pork carnitas, which are pork, black beans, avocado, sour cream and cheese. The next night ill use the same pork loin leftovers to make mu shu pork, which has egg, napa cabbage, pork, with a peanut butter sauce. Its AMAZING! Then the next night I can use the rest of the pork loin to make pulled pork sandwiches, or a pork stir fry, or cut it into pork chop sections and make an apple cider glazed pork chop. I do this for every week of the month. Some weeks its 'mexican food' where i do a big crockpot of black beans with beef broth so we make burritos that night with beans, 73/27 ground beef (its cheap, full of fat and flavor), lettuce, and cheese. I dont use a tortilla but the carbivores in the house do. Then the next night I use the beans to make a taco soup, or keep a few of the beans to use in the pork carnitas I listed above. Can also use the beans to make a chili. I also have designated 'leftover' nights so nothing goes to waste. What ever we havent used in leftovers for lunches get eaten that night.
This helps cut down costs because I list the fresh items ill need for that meal right on the calender. So i only buy what i need for that week. Less waste and food going bad that way. I stock up on butter, cream cheese, sour cream, etc when I can price match it to Walmart. Often local stores a few miles from here will have butter for $2.00 or $2.50 a lb and cream cheese for $.99 a pound and ill buy 4-5 of each at that price. That lasts me a month or so; if i have more money that week ill buy 6-7 and have a small stockpile for the next month.
I do a lot of shopping at Aldi, if you have one near you. Walmart price matches. I coupon shop all my HBA items i dont make myself, at the local CVS. I then use that money to buy food. Just an example, last week at CVS I bought 4 bags of Halls cough drops, 3 boxes of Cool Touch Kleenex tissues, 4 bottles of Soft Soap brand hand soap, 1 $13 bottle of lotion recommended by the dermatologist, 4 bottles of Dawn dish soap and a box of candy canes for hubby for less than $10 and walked out of there with another $4 in ECB (CVS version of cash to spend in their stores) for next time. Then i spend that money I saved on healthier food.
In addition to Aldi and walmart and coupon shopping, we split a sam's club (well now costco but same thing) memebership with my inlaws. I go there once a month and buy organic whole whipping cream, milk, carrots, canned veggies, etc in bulk. Even $50 there a month will give me a small stockpile to carry over into the next month. Milk can be frozen, canned veggies dont go bad, so bulk goes a long way. I also compare prices. Tuna is cheaper at Aldi per can than costco so I buy it at Aldi.
I also started making my own cleaning products by starting with laundry detergent. It costs about $10 for all the stuff at the beginning but one 5 gallon bucket of the liquid will last me 6 months. And I live on a farm as i said and that's 6 months of pig poo and chicken droppings washed. I will buy fabric softener but dont use it in the wash. I have a bucket of it mixed with water and with sponges in it. I put a sponge into the dryer and it makes the clothes not static and smell way better than if id put it into the washer. I also use clothes dryer racks when i can for non wrinkle stuff like towels or hubby's underware. Saves on drying costs. I also do a white vinegar and water over orange peels cleaner, it cleans everything from mold to floors to bathrooms. I also use white vinegar solution for windows and mirrors. White vinegar is cheap, especially in the fall during canning season so I stock up then.
We do a few other cost cutting things like grow a garden, can everything I can, buy off the old bread/veggie rack at the store, etc. We save bacon grease in an old tin/canning jar and use it for other meals. I save all my chicken skins and bones and crockpot my own broth. I also buy and use bullion to make broth because its cheaper than already made broth. I buy towels at yard sales and make my own dish clothes and dish drying towels and wash clothes. Old sheets become cleaning rags.
Small steps can make a big difference when added up. Even goodwill on half price/senior day is huge. Daughters can get name brand jeans for cheap, not that they care as long as they look 'cute' but just saying name brands and stuff with tags on them are there. We also pop up to the Amish area to a bulk foods store they have there every 3 months to stock up on spices, nuts, dried fruit, etc.
I am with Dragonwolf in the pennies analogy, small things add up. One stockpiled item a month is one more item you dont have to buy for a few months and that money can be used elsewhere. One cost cutting thing helps put that money to a better use. It isnt an all or nothing proposition. Baby steps are still progress.
Those are just some things we do. I am sure there are others I am not thinking of right now but hope this helps someone who takes the time to read my wall of text.
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I buy sardines when they are on sale, and mackerel. I also buy large pieces of meat, like pot roast, and cook it down in the crock pot. Last week Albertson's had BOGO on family size meat packages, we loaded up. I bought two turkeys after Christmas for .28 a pound!
And really don't see the resistance here..a LCHF diet is not really that much more expensive than a high carb diet. I don't buy ANY processed foods at all. No soda, cereal, bread, I don't eat out at all, I pack my food container in the morning for a full day of healthy food.
Our food costs have gone way down.0 -
I also started making my own cleaning products by starting with laundry detergent. It costs about $10 for all the stuff at the beginning but one 5 gallon bucket of the liquid will last me 6 months. And I live on a farm as i said and that's 6 months of pig poo and chicken droppings washed. I will buy fabric softener but dont use it in the wash. I have a bucket of it mixed with water and with sponges in it. I put a sponge into the dryer and it makes the clothes not static and smell way better than if id put it into the washer. I also use clothes dryer racks when i can for non wrinkle stuff like towels or hubby's underware. Saves on drying costs. I also do a white vinegar and water over orange peels cleaner, it cleans everything from mold to floors to bathrooms. I also use white vinegar solution for windows and mirrors. White vinegar is cheap, especially in the fall during canning season so I stock up then.
Oh! That reminds me, too! We use apple cider vinegar for fabric softener. Just put it in the liquid fabric softener spot in the washer, and you don't need anything in the dryer! Cling free and no smell! (White vinegar might work here, too, but I haven't tried it.) We also use it for the rinse aid in the dishwasher, and I make my own dishwasher soap with some of the same ingredients I already have, anyway (borax, washing soda, salt; citric acid is the only additional thing, and it's cheap if you know where to look).
If you have a chandelier or other big light that you use often, another good way to save money is switch the bulbs to LEDs. The price has dropped now, so you can get them fairly cheap, and you end up saving a bunch in electricity (especially over incandescent) and in cooling in the summer. It's an investment, but saves in the long run, because LED bulbs last forever.
Putting plastic on your windows will help with both heating and cooling bills (unless you open your windows in the summer, but it still works for winter).shadesofidaho wrote: »HA I will add one little warning when you get started making your own oils and slaves and cleaning products. Once you do it it is so fun it becomes addicting. Almost as much as that pepsi. I made all my own salves for my psoriasis. Face creams just feel good lotions lip balms. It is endless and so fun. Give it a try.
Haha! Ain't that the truth! I find myself constantly looking at things and going "I bet I can make that, myself!" My latest is some pain relief oil for my back, thanks to my latest shipment of essential oils.
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Those are just some things we do. I am sure there are others I am not thinking of right now but hope this helps someone who takes the time to read my wall of text.
You are totally my hero and I want to come and live on your hobby farm. ;-) It's abundantly clear to me that I need to step up my game again when it comes to living in this kind of non-wasteful and frugal way. When I was a stay at home mom of three I was all OVER this kind of lifestyle. When the kids grew up and moved out and I went back to a 5 x 8 office job, I was suddenly too "busy" (read: lazy) to put in the effort.
Well, besides getting my eating back under control again I have some major financial goals that need to be reached sooner rather than later, so I'm going to take a page from your (and the others who've posted such great tips) book and get back to living in a less consumer-ish and more self sufficient/frugal manner.
Thank you for the example and the tips. And can you share your Mu Shu Pork recipe?? :-)
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Those are just some things we do. I am sure there are others I am not thinking of right now but hope this helps someone who takes the time to read my wall of text.
You are totally my hero and I want to come and live on your hobby farm. ;-) It's abundantly clear to me that I need to step up my game again when it comes to living in this kind of non-wasteful and frugal way. When I was a stay at home mom of three I was all OVER this kind of lifestyle. When the kids grew up and moved out and I went back to a 5 x 8 office job, I was suddenly too "busy" (read: lazy) to put in the effort.
Well, besides getting my eating back under control again I have some major financial goals that need to be reached sooner rather than later, so I'm going to take a page from your (and the others who've posted such great tips) book and get back to living in a less consumer-ish and more self sufficient/frugal manner.
Thank you for the example and the tips. And can you share your Mu Shu Pork recipe?? :-)
In fairness, the 9-5 office grind can be mentally/emotionally draining. Not wanting to do stuff because you're mentally exhausted is a legitimate as not wanting to do stuff because you're physically exhausted, in my opinion. The trick is learning how to navigate that world (or to prosper while removing yourself from it) without getting too drained.0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »In fairness, the 9-5 office grind can be mentally/emotionally draining. Not wanting to do stuff because you're mentally exhausted is a legitimate as not wanting to do stuff because you're physically exhausted, in my opinion. The trick is learning how to navigate that world (or to prosper while removing yourself from it) without getting too drained.
So true, Dragon! I'm sort of finding that out now, as I've been out of the office for almost 6 weeks now (working from home) while recuperating from foot surgery. I'm mentally in a better place working from home, not to mention the extra time gained from not commuting/dressing and making-up for the office/etc. How nice it's been to utilize my breaks by doing a load of laundry, prepping low carb food, or cleaning the kitchen rather than trudging to the breakroom for yet another cup of the nasty swill that passes for coffee at work. ;-)
May be pushing for a permanent "remote working" situation...at least a couple days out of the week. :-)
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So many great ideas. With this rejuvenated energy, I guess I need to get off my duff! And when I say tight food budget. Right now, I have about $20. I may get another $20 on Friday. And that has to feed 2 of us full through to the following Friday...
Eliminating the Pepsi is not a battle I can currently take on. It is for the caffeine as much as the sugar, and I'll be honest, the fight it would entail at the moment simply is not worth the monetary exchange. I'm sure, as I modify all of our foods it will begin to happen naturally, and I'll push as the opportunity presents itself, but World War 4000 is not entering my home at the moment, thanks... I know this sounds somewhat like a cop out, and to a certain extent, I am just not willing to take on the stress of the fight to make the change/deal with the attitude/etc., but part of it is sincere...just not anywhere close to worth it right now.
P.S. Anyone know how to determine if your slow agitation in your washer is the belt or the other thing? $75 service call if they come out...but just parts cost if I can figure it out myself!!0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »I also started making my own cleaning products by starting with laundry detergent. It costs about $10 for all the stuff at the beginning but one 5 gallon bucket of the liquid will last me 6 months. And I live on a farm as i said and that's 6 months of pig poo and chicken droppings washed. I will buy fabric softener but dont use it in the wash. I have a bucket of it mixed with water and with sponges in it. I put a sponge into the dryer and it makes the clothes not static and smell way better than if id put it into the washer. I also use clothes dryer racks when i can for non wrinkle stuff like towels or hubby's underware. Saves on drying costs. I also do a white vinegar and water over orange peels cleaner, it cleans everything from mold to floors to bathrooms. I also use white vinegar solution for windows and mirrors. White vinegar is cheap, especially in the fall during canning season so I stock up then.
If you have a chandelier or other big light that you use often, another good way to save money is switch the bulbs to LEDs. The price has dropped now, so you can get them fairly cheap, and you end up saving a bunch in electricity (especially over incandescent) and in cooling in the summer. It's an investment, but saves in the long run, because LED bulbs last forever.
Putting plastic on your windows will help with both heating and cooling bills (unless you open your windows in the summer, but it still works for winter).
Your electric company will also have an energy saver program. Often means some 3 party person come check your house for energy effeciency. but then they give you a box with low flow sink and shower heads, quite a few LED bulbs and things like that, totally free. The 3rd party company is paid for by the electric company because its cheaper to get customers to cut down on electric use than it is to build new electric power plants. Sounds weird but every electric company has this program I was told. Your local county office might have free LED bulbs too. We have a government group here for low income people that helps with heating costs, cooling costs, weatherization like window plastic, etc for free. They also give out free LED bulbs to anyone, not just low income, for free. Worth checking out IMO.
The plastic on the windows does help too. We've done the free LEDs and the plastic on the windows since we are on propane and propane is SUPER expensive!Those are just some things we do. I am sure there are others I am not thinking of right now but hope this helps someone who takes the time to read my wall of text.
You are totally my hero and I want to come and live on your hobby farm. ;-) It's abundantly clear to me that I need to step up my game again when it comes to living in this kind of non-wasteful and frugal way. When I was a stay at home mom of three I was all OVER this kind of lifestyle. When the kids grew up and moved out and I went back to a 5 x 8 office job, I was suddenly too "busy" (read: lazy) to put in the effort.
Well, besides getting my eating back under control again I have some major financial goals that need to be reached sooner rather than later, so I'm going to take a page from your (and the others who've posted such great tips) book and get back to living in a less consumer-ish and more self sufficient/frugal manner.
Thank you for the example and the tips. And can you share your Mu Shu Pork recipe?? :-)
HAHA let me know when you are coming so I can put the dog up!
We raise chickens, turkeys, ducks and pigs. The birds we raise both for eggs and for meat. Both are cost effective ways of getting grass fed no antibiotics meat and free range eggs but I know not everyone can do that kind of thing. We also have a large berry patch with raspberries, both gold and red, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and a few different types of grapes. We have a compost bin so compost most our garden ourselves. We grow a huge garden and can most of what comes out of it, green beans, brussel sprouts, corn, butternut and spaghetti squash, tomatoes, peppers, all different kinds of herbs, etc. Then we have family that has concord grapes, pears and apples we can each year also.
I know its not a way of life everyone can do so that's why i shared the things we do that others can even if they live in the city. Couponing is actually easier in a larger city because there are more places to shop and price match. There are so many sites out there that will teach you and walk you thru exactly how to get the best deals and you dont even have to cut all your coupons, only the ones you are using that week. And i Love that it stretches my budget so I can afford better and more food. Making your own cleaners and laundry detergents/softener can be done anywhere and is super cheap and cleans very nicely.
When you live on the cusp of the poverty line, every single penny and half penny counts!
The Mu Shu Pork I do is from Dana Carpender's 500 Recipe Low Carb cookbook
3 eggs beaten
slivered muchrooms
pork loin
shredded napa cabbage
3 or 4 scallions sliced
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs dry sherry
you can add water chestnuts and/or bamboo shoots if you want
In a wok or heavy skillet scramble the eggs in a few tbs of peanut oil. Remove and set aside. Wipe the wok out if egg sticks to it and add a little more peanut oil. Add the pork and stir-fry it until its mostly done (skip this step if you cooked it in the crockpot the day before like we do). Add the cabbage, scallions and other veggies, stir-frying them for about 3 minutes till cabbage is soft. Add the eggs back in and pork if you had pre-cooked it. Add the soy sauce and sherry, stir to coat well.
The peanut sauce is
4 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs creamy natural peanut butter
2 tbs splends or other natural sweetner
2 tbs white vinegar
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp chineese five spice powder or other korean/chinese hot sauce
Blend all the ingredients together well.
I put a half cup of the Mu Shu pork in a bowl and add 2 tbs of the peanut sauce on top and enjoy. The carbivores in the house put it in a tortilla and add the sauce on top.
my macros came out to be 312 calories, 23g fat, 5g carbs, 1g fiber, and 21g protein according to MFP.0
