Frugal Homemaking (BEST FRUGAL LIVING TIPS)

                                 Real Ways Homemakers Can Influence the Family Budget

-The best way you can impact your family’s finances is to have a budget. Knowing how much money is coming in and going out will help you in paying off your debt and in knowing exactly how much you can really afford.

-Your home is the most expensive place to be. Even if you don’t live in a lavish palace. You have groceries, rent, utilities, electronics, activities for your children, and so much more. The costs add up and they add up fast.

So here a few suggestions to keep you on budget and in a few seconds I will get into some tangible way you can cut costs as a homemaker. 

-Know your income patterns. For instance with my husband tends to earn less  commission the first 1/2 of the year because companies are more restrictive with their budgets so they have a buffer for unexpected expenses, but the second 1/2 of year those same companies need to use up their budget because they will lose the funds if they don’t so tends to earn more commission.

-Live within your means and don’t try to keep up with the Jone’s. Many people I know drive Tesla’s, take European vacations and live in a bigger house than I do. If we tried to live that lifestyle we would constantly live in debt. It’s not worth it and not necessary. Just because you saw on an old friend from college on FB with and her family on vacation in Aspen doesn’t mean you have to. If all you can afford is for your husband to take a few days off from work and your family heads to the local beach with packed sandwiches so what! It’s not where you go but who you're with. 

-Understand and come to peace with the fact everyone’s life, budget and spending habits are different. What might work for one family, won’t necessarily work for the next? But when it comes to frugal living cutting back on your spending, learning to save money and cut costs are universal.

Here are just a few ways you can cut costs in your home. I’ve broken them down into categories so let’s start with food because it’s one of with biggest expenses we can control.

Food

• Cook from scratch. I admit I’m not the best cook but with Pinterest and using my Instant pot I bought on Prime Day a few years back. I have learned so much and I’ve been able to drastically lower the amount take out we order. 

• That leads me to meal planning. You will be less likely to order out if you have a plan of what eating and when. I don’t always stick to the day we actually eat the food on. So Tuesday’s meal may be eaten on Friday, but I know what we’re eating and I know I’ve shopped for the ingredients to cook those meals. 
• Another way I like to keep our food budget down and make meal planning easy is that I usually cook once but we eat twice. I will double a recipe and cook enough for us to have leftovers the next night. This saves us so much money. Instead of buying multiple ingredients for 7 different meals each week I buy enough to make 4 meals. 

• Another food tip I have for you shop the sales and stock up when prices are low. Because I meal plan around the weekly sales and I’m buying enough for two meals with those sale items I can save a ton on our groceries. 

• Also, we try to no shopping week every 4-6 weeks. At that time I will “shop” our pantry. I will great really creative and try to plan as many meals as I can with the food we already have in the fridge, freezer and pantry. 

• The last food tip I have is to drink water - Water is so much more cost-effective than sodas and juices and it will actually keep you hydrated. Skip the bottled water, and invest in a quality water filter or like us we order the 5-gallon buckets for Poland Spring and even with the low water cooler rental cost I still save more than buying bottled water and it works out to be less money than buying only juice and sodas. 

Laundry

• Wash your clothes in cold water. Coldwater uses less energy than hot water cycles and cold water is gentle on delicate fabrics. 

• Don’t buy expensive fabric softeners and use vinegar instead your clothes won’t smell like vinegar and you can use it in other areas of your house. 

• Let Your Clothes Air Dry - When I was kid everyone's back yards had a clothesline. My mother always hung our clothes to dry and I remember her being sad when they built their deck and she didn’t have a place for a clothesline in her yard. If you don’t have a clothesline you can get one of these drying racks for less than $20 buck at Ikea. Have 2 and they save me so much money. If you don’t have much room for a drying rack inside the house can get creative and hang them on the shower rod in your bathroom. Heck, when I was first married we didn’t have a dryer only a washer so I would hang our clothes on our kitchen cabinet handles. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. 

Cleaning

• Alright, let's move onto cleaning. There are tons of ways to save money in the cleaning department. Last month I did a whole video on flour sack towels that you guys seemed to really like. and I talked about how you can use them in many ways around the house but one way to clean with them. These towels are inexpensive and reusable. When you are done watching this video I’ll have that one linked in the description so you can watch it for more money-saving tips.

• Sticking with cleaning think about making your own cleaners. I’ve made so many different effective cleaners that cost me only a few pennies to make. Like carpet refreshers, all-purpose sprays, toilet bowl cleaner. I’ve made you guys another free printable with my favorite DIY cleaning recipes. These a link in the description box for that was well if you want to give some a try for yourself.

• By combining DIY cleaners and reusable cleaning cloths you can have hundreds over the course of a year. 

Clothing & Household Items

• As homemakers, we typically have the responsibility of clothing our family and buying what we need for our homes like pots and pans and other necessities. 

• My suggestion is to shop second-handed and end of season sales. I love the thrift stores like Goodwill and The Salvation Army, but don’t be fooled into thinking you can only save money on clothes unless you buy second hand. 

• I have found some great deals during the end of season sales in stores like Target and Walmart. In September and October, I hit the clearance racks hard. I size up for my kids and when the spring and summer comes the following year they already have a full wardrobe brand new clothes they bought for a few dollars each. And I buy their fall and winter clothes as Christmas present because the stores will amazing sales for the holiday season. 
• I will shop for clothes at thrift shops as well. This is where I buy name brands and expensive items I would never buy in regular department stores. 

• I do buy most of the household items at second stores though. Kitchen tools and home decor pieces are always some good things you can find there. A well as furniture pieces that may just need a little DIY TLC to give them a new life. 

• Another way to save on house household items is to switch from disposable to reusable. Look around the house and see what you buy only to throw it away when you're done. It may cost a little more upfront but you will save in the long run. Bar mop towels can replace paper towels, the basket-style coffee filter can replace the paper ones you get the hint. Instead of literally throwing your money away buy reusable instead. 

There are so many ways we homemaker can save a buck but I think it boils down to few things.

• Know your budget
• be intentional about your food purchases 
• Make what you can instead of buying it
• Shop second hand and sales
• Switch from disposable to reusable where ever you can. 

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DIY Household Cleaners: http://bit.ly/2yxyZvG
🔶Homemaking Skills: Flour Sack Towel Video - https://youtu.be/OKoO85btwtM
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Tips for Creating a Beautifully Organized Pantry - https://Youtu.Be/Fgchrnguabm
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💁🏻‍♀️ABOUT ME 💁🏻‍♀️ Hey homemakers! My name is Shirlee. I'm a homeschooling mom living in the United States who takes pride in being a homemaker to my husband Dean, our 3 children - identical twin boys Noah & Caleb, our tiny tot Analise, and our Boston Terrier, Callie Grace. I embrace homemaking, feminine lifestyle, and traditional living. When I'm not making video's you can find me at church, the thrift store or pinning something on Pinterest. I've been a housewife for over 10 years and I enjoy sharing the homemaking skills I've learned over time with the modern homemaker. I'd love for you to join our homemaking family by subscribing to my channel (don't worry it's free) Click here to join us - http://bit.ly/2CBtM91
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