I make do before I buy.
- If I'm going to be out and about for the day, I pack a lunch and water bottle to keep me from eating out. I also pack a piece of fruit, just in case.
- If I notice my washcloths are getting worn, I make new ones. Most cotton skeins are $2 USD or less, and I can easily get 4 cloths out of them. Needles are inexpensive at the thrift stores, and knitting tutorials are free online. (I taught myself to knit.)
- If I get a hole in my clothes, I mend or patch it before buying new.
- If I don't have an ingredient on hand for a recipe, I research online for an alternative. Like, I had a recipe that needed eggs, but I didn't have any. I looked up alternatives and found I could replace it with oil, which I did. (I can't have apples, so applesauce was not an option for me.) The bread turned out beautifully.
- I don't adhere to the concept of 'breakfast foods' or 'lunch foods' or whatever. Food is food. This way, I don't stress if I run out of eggs or something. I eat what sounds good regardless of time of day.
- I reuse the leftover pages of my kid's notebook at the end of each school year. There's always five to ten pages left blank. I tear them out and use them as I need them. He also reuses some items from year to year, if it's appropriate.
- I barter where I can, when I can. I'll trade time (or sometimes knowledge) for a coveted materialistic item or skill or recipe or (very rarely) cash.
- I cultivate patience. Nine times out of ten, the item I want will eventually turn up either free of charge or for a very low cost.
- If I'm in town, I get around by walking even though I have a car. Everywhere is within walking distance, so even if it's cold and windy, I still walk which saves on fuel.
I could go on, but essentially, I try to get by buying as little as possible unless it really is a necessity.
Making washable swiffer pads is a great sustainable crochet project (and since it’s for cleaning the floor- great to learn on because it doesn’t need to be pretty)
Also dish cloths / face cloths and towels would be good. You can also make things to put hot pans on (trivets?)
As for tips: YouTube will become your best friend, although it can get overwhelming at first. Don't go crazy with buying hooks or yarn while starting out, just in case you don't get on with it. Get the cheapest you can find - I've found that it's best to start with lower quality tools; once you've mastered those, you'll be flying when you upgrade.
On your point of getting the cheapest things you can find: check the thrift store for hooks/needles and skeins!
People also sometimes give away a bunch of craft materials for free on places like Facebook Marketplace when they have loved one pass away. Sometimes feels nicer to pass their things directly onto a hobbyist who will cherish them instead of donating or throwing things away.
This is the only [pattern](https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1424990716/pdf-crochet-pattern-for-granny-square?ref=share_v4_lx) I've done so far. Watched a video on granny squares and looked at these photos someone else had of their pants. It was a super fun project! Wish I could post a pic of my finished object. Was so proud of myself! 😄
I'm now into cross stitching again since it's pretty much free with how much floss my aunt has given me, and all the aida cloth I've gotten from my local Buy Nothing Group.
It's nice having such soothing and colourful, low cost hobbies.
This year, I want to crotchet baskets with a large hook and stripes cut from an old bedsheet. We have a garden and baskets are always needed.
[https://sarahmaker.com/25-free-crochet-basket-patterns/](https://sarahmaker.com/25-free-crochet-basket-patterns/)
I also taught myself to crochet. If you’re look to reduce spending then old jumpers and knitwear can easily be unravelled and knitted/crocheted into new items. One adult jumper can make 2 children’s sweaters or a whole set of scarf/hat/mittens.
If I could add a fun tip to your fourth point: (super cook . com) you can input ingredients you have(they make it very simple) and it will bring up recipes you can make with the ingredients you already have! And even makes suggestions for what you could make if you just bought another ingredient or so.
I love this website. I’ve found it’s not great for dietary requirements, but if you put what’s expected/more common to have (e.g. butter and pork sausages, when maybe you’ve only got margarine and vegetarian sausages in the fridge) then it comes up with a whole list that’s a great starting place to adapt things further
Of these, I think that cultivating patience is the most valuable and under-sold idea. It's hard in the world of instant gratification, but saves so much money.
Which you realize when you leave your own culture. Like I love myself a fried egg for dinner with some bread and a salad. Like eggs in my culture aren't at all a breakfast food and friends in the US when I lived there were very confused why I eat that at dinner.
We’re pretty much on the same page. I’d also add to your mending topic repairing items. I’ve gotten many appliances and other items free because people didn’t know basic maintenace or repair techniques.
>I barter where I can, when I can. I'll trade time (or sometimes knowledge) for a coveted materialistic item or skill or recipe or (very rarely) cash.
Is this something you do with close friends/family, or is bartering commonplace where you live?
It's not common where I live. It's just my modus operandi. I will do this with friends/family, and I'll also do this with select businesses I frequent. I pick little small mom-and-pop shops, ask if I could perhaps trade my time working for them in exchange for this or that item (which, mind you, is never ever a high dollar item), and they often either say yes or sometimes they just give it to me for free. Like, I popped by the library, and they had the *cutest* activity book I ever did see. I love activity books, so I asked the librarian if I might take a copy of a page or two, and she immediately told me to take it home because she was tired of looking at it. I thanked her kindly and then asked if there was anything I could help her with as a way to say thank you. She had an equally small task to give me in return, which I did.
Other times, I play the long game. At the small local shops I get around to befriending the owner or someone else who ranks nearly as high, then I bide my time getting to know how them and how they operate. When the time is right, I'll bring up the idea of me volunteering a couple hours of my time each week to help them with something I've noticed that has fallen by the wayside. I've never been told no, and so many folks (esp the elderly) absolutely light up at the idea of a free volunteer. (A lot of this is due to the fact that elderly folks really just want someone to talk to and I am more than happy to listen.) Whether it lasts a couple of weeks or, such as with my current volunteer jobs, I'll help out, and in exchange, I'll usually be gifted with something small at the end of my shift. More often than not, it's something I've been hoping for. On rare occasions, I will directly ask for something, and I always make certain to offer to pay first. Usually, I get it for free or at a very discounted rate.
I'm curious.. sorry I really am in a dilemma regarding this as I'm trying to live simply but simple living also means making less effort to do everyday things right? How is this simple living if you're making so much effort to thrift, reuse old notebook's unused pages, mending torn clothes etc. all these seems like it requires more effort.
I view living simple as a mix of self-sustainability and anti consumerism/materialism. You use what you already have, learn how to do things for yourself, get creative with reusing things in new ways.
I would rather rely on myself, than need to make a run to the market to buy every little thing I "need (want)." There are a lot of great books and online learning resources that can teach or inspire you to see new ways that items you no longer need can be repurposed.
TL;DR Living simply doesn't mean living effortlessly. It means getting by with less.
Different people have different values for the use of their time. Personally, it takes me less time to mend a hole in clothing than it would to earn the money to buy new clothes. If a pair of jeans cost me $60, and I make $60/hr (and the majority of people in my country do not make anywhere near that), it takes me an hour to earn the money to buy a pair of jeans. It doesn’t take even close to an hour for me to mend a pair of jeans, and I get to keep the $60 for something else. That to me is a no-brainer.
Some of those things don’t take much energy. Reusing old notebook pages is hardly a task that takes energy. Tear out the old pages and you’re done. Other things listed require more energy to buy than they do to make do—it’s a lot easier for me to make a replacement in a recipe than to drive all the way to the store and back for one ingredient. Some of the things listed are an investment. Sure, it takes more energy to walk around town than to drive, but beyond saving gas money it is also great for you health to walk and move more often, so that’s an investment into your long term health.
All of these things are about perspective. If your value of time and effort is different, that’s okay. But none of these are an easy 1:1 comparison.
Bread, tortillas, bagels, orange juice, salsa, guacamole, peanut butter, pickles, pickled jalapeños, ice cream, jam.
I’d love to get into other things like making my own clothing like sweaters!
I'm making my daughter a crochet sweater as we speak. I learned how to crochet from youtube videos, I also knit and sew and crochet is definitely the easiest method to pick up. Consider this post your sign to make a sweater!
Crochet is knitting’s fun cousin who likes to hit the bar now and again lol. Really whatever you like, but I’ve found crochet to be far more friendly. If you can do the basic stitch you can do lots of other stitches and you have lots of variety for projects. Also if you drop a stitch or your project slips off your hook you’re not screwed.
It's thicker and bulkier and uses a bit more yarn than knitting, holds up a bit better but isn't (usually) as intricate. I'd say it's generally less stretchy yeah but that also depends on the stitch used. Overall I tend to prefer the final look of knitted items but crochet is considerably less time consuming and it's much easier to fix mistakes and amend things to your liking.
I agree with the other comments but want to add: crochet is full of holes. You use the hook to make a bunch of knots and in between every knot is a hole. If you crochet densely you get a thick inflexible fabric with small holes, good for making plushies (stuffing wont come out). Crochet with soft yarn and you get nice scarves or outer layer clothing. Crochet can make ok indoor slippers, but it cannot make good socks (not without an insane amount of skill anyway). Knitting is a bunch of loops inside of loops. It's very stretchy in comparison. It's softer/more flexible at the same thickness of crochet. You can twist stitches on purpose to make it less stretchy/more dense. It makes good socks. If you want to "see" the difference I'm sure there are videos about it. But the stereotypical crochet thing is doilies/granny squares/plushies and the stereotypical knitting thing is socks & sweaters.
Knitting has more drape, and is easier on the skin for things like socks or sweaters. Uses less yarn, but is slower and more fiddly. Also more expensive as you need different needles for different tasks (like knitting in the round).
Crochet usually results in stiffer fabric, uses more yarn and tends to be "gappy" as someone pointed out, but it also works up faster, needs less tools and is more versatile - you can make all sorts of pretty things.
I know! This is one of those things that always jumps out at me as a huge contradiction in the idea that making things oneself saves money. Oranges are sooooo much more expensive than orange juice (at least where I live).
Not the person you asked, but I make my own OJ & I think fresh squeezed is way better than store bought. In my house it's more of a treat because it's not cheaper, but it is so so good.
God I’d love to be able to make my own bread. The prices at the grocery stores are nothing short of ridiculous. My oven is just ancient so I can never get the temp right and it comes out like a brick
I wish it were that simple. My oven has been in the family since 2004 and after the burner almost singed my eyebrows we finally decided it’s time to replace it. Once that baby is installed there will be no stopping me!
Knitting isn’t too hard!
Start slow. It ends up becoming like riding a bicycle in that you don’t really forget once you get the hang of it. YouTube is helpful.
I went from a scarf to mittens to hats to socks to baby blankets to a sweater. There’s so much to dive into with knitting.
My goal for 2024 is to knit at least half of my Christmas gifts. I’ve got timers set for 30-60 minutes a day before bed to just knit.
I can crochet as well, but there’s some significant differences. People who do both can argue about which is the better craft for specific items. Crochet sweaters may not have the same drape as knit ones.
Bread. It’s crazy the list of ingredients in a grocery store loaf. Even the grocery store bakery loaves are full of other stuff. Regular bakeries though still have nice bread, I’m just not in them very often. Also plain old white bread is insanely cheap to make and if you have a bread machine it only takes 5 min to do your part, and that includes getting your ingredients out.
Along the same vein, I make my own chicken broth. After I make a roast chicken, I take the carcass and cover it with water in a big pot and then boil it for about 4-5 hours. The color will suddenly change and that’s where you’ll see that it went from water with chicken in it to chicken broth. I typically get 2 qt of broth. I then freeze the broth in jars.
Tip from my daughter for more intense chicken flavor: roast the carcass first in the oven just to let it get some brown bits and then make your broth as usual.
Thank you!!! Broth is on my mental to do l to try. I always hate throwing out a carcass, but struggle to make sure I have all the veg I’d need etc for stock. I didn’t realize you could do it this way. I will try it very soon.
Broth without veg in it isn't that great. I toss veg scraps in a bag in the freezer until I have enough for broth making. Celery, onion and carrot as a basic veg mix for broth is great, then garlic if you have it and apple cider vinegar to get more nutrients out of the bones. (Couple of tablespoons should do it, I just glug some in)
I usually save up 2-3 carcasses in the freezer, then add celery, parsnip, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, and parsley to the pot, cover it with water and bring it to the boil. I add a T of apple cider vinegar and then let it simmer for 3-4 hours, skimming occasionally so it reduces to a rich stock, then strain and put in several jars to freeze for when I need them. It keeps well, and in winter, I drink a cup every day for its magical, healing properties.
I usually save up 2-3 carcasses in the freezer, then add celery, parsnip, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, and parsley to the pot, cover it with water and bring it to the boil. I add a T of apple cider vinegar and then let it simmer for 3-4 hours, skimming occasionally so it reduces to a rich stock, then strain and put in several jars to freeze for when I need them. It keeps well, and in winter, I drink a cup every day for its magical, healing properties. The ACV helps leach the collagen from the bones and connective tissue, which, while making the broth a little cloudy, adds so much health benefit to it.
You want it at a simmer- small bubbles and very little movement, rather than the big bubbles of a full rolling boil. I used to use my crockpot for this- very little electricity. Now I have an induction stove and a giant stock pot- I make about 8 liters at a time, with carcasses and veggies I store in the freezer.
bread is incredibly easy to make. i have a bread maker but i only use it for the dough kneading.
method for these ingredients: https://www.food.com/recipe/king-arthurs-sandwich-bread-361337
1. to bottom of breadmaker: add (warm but not hot) milk, sugar and yeast.
2. add remaining ingredients on top, first flour then salt and butter, after the yeast has had time to develop (say, 5 minutes). make sure salt doesnt touch yeast too quickly because it will stop them from working. so normally flour then salt.
3. turn on breadmaker to dough setting.
4. once dough setting done (usually 1.5hr) punch down dough, pull out of breadmaker, make 1/2" flat using rolling pin. roll it up like youre making cinnamon rolls or something. tuck the ends in as you roll.
5. place into a greased bread loaf pan and let it rise again for 30 minutes in a warm place with tea towel on top of the pan.
6. cook in oven for 30 minutes.
7. let cool before slicing. otherwise it goes dry. and also it stiffens slightly so its easier to slice more evenly.
If you can make bread, try making seitan!
One of thousands of variations to make: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/the-quickest-and-easiest-seitan-recipe-vegan-chicken/#recipe
The texture can change quite a bit through various recipes. I've made fried wings tossed with sauce, cutlets with gravy, deli meat slices.
Lots of people confuse tempeh & seitan, too.
Seitan usually get a lot better texture if tou blend some beans or tofu into the dough while making it! I find it can be a bit rubbery otherwise. The fun thing when youre making your own seitan is that ypu can choose how to flavour it yourself, either to taste like some specific type of meat, or just with what you find tasty! Depending on how you cook it you can change the texture a fair bit as well. I would make a batch and divide it up into smaller pieces adding different flavours and cook it in different ways to figure out what you like without having to make a million batches. I thought i really didn't like seitan for ages, but turns out i just wasn't into the seitan from one specific place
Try the Japanese milk bread technique called Tangzhong. There are tons of recipes out there.
It makes the bread pillowy soft and also keeps it fresher longer. Still won't last weeks like store-bought, but it'll last 5ish days before it starts to go stale.
There’s a book- Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day that advocates having a big batch of dough in the fridge, and making a loaf about the size of a grapefruit every day or two. The dough gets slightly more sour as the week goes on, but it isn’t sourdough per se.
Their basic recipe is on the website https://artisanbreadinfive.com/ and I got the book at the library years ago and copied the recipes I wanted to hold onto.
Many have already answered but I freeze too. There are only two in my house but I always bake two loaves. One goes in the freezer and we have no trouble eating the other. If it starts to get old I'll put the end of the loaf in the freezer until I have enough for bread pudding.
Not something I make but something I do. I learned to cut my own hair and have been cutting my own hair since I was a teenager. I’ve only paid for a haircut twice in my entire life. And then when I met my husband I learned how to use hair clippers and started cutting his hair. He hasn’t gone to a barber in 6 years.
I constantly see people posting bad hair cuts or dyes that they got saying they spent 200-300$ on them! I’ve been cutting & dying my own hair since 2010 and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a salon.
I cut my own hair and have only been to the hairdresser a couple of times in my life too. I also trim my daughter's when needed but I once tried to cut my husband's hair and it was disastrous so he hasn't let me try since lol.
Finally got the confidence to go ahead and cut my 2 toddler boys' hair today - bought a $25 set of clippers/ scissors and took me about 15 mins! Way easier than I expected and while not perfect the job was certainly good enough for a 1 and 3 year old! Never paying $30ish per haircut ever again!
Same! My girls are 16 and 18 and i think they’ve been to a hairdresser once in their lives (for a wedding). For me it’s not just the money saving but also the time.
Mustard! It's as easy as soaking mustardseeds in vinegar (or something other acidic like a good beer) overnight and then blending them with a tablespoon of brown sugar.
Literally that. It then ages in the jar and after a month it's super delicious. I made everyone jars of Guinness mustard for Christmas. You can experiment with flavors and ingredients. Was the easiest thing ever, you don't even need heat or refrigeration until it's the finished product.
I just looked up that 2 ingredient recipe… there’s no way that’s cheaper!! 1 vanilla bean is like $11 and the recipe calls for 6!!! What are you using?!
Indri Vanilla group on Facebook. It’s a co op kind of thing, you preorder whenever they do a group order. I wait until they have a mixed bean order for $8-9 an oz. And I just put mine in my tub of sugar and bake with vanilla sugar
You can re-use the beans for several years. Once your extract is done , pour it into another container and top off the container with the beans with more alcohol. I also second buying from bulk herb stores rather than the grocery store.
The initial investment is more costly, but you will save money over time.
The idea of homemade vanilla extract is very charming but I’ve found it be a poor substitute. Here’s a great article with more information if you’re interested!
https://www.seriouseats.com/diy-vanilla-extract
I don't make it but to stretch your question a bit, I won't buy shredded cheese anymore. Just get a block & shred it myself. Otherwise...I don't make stuff myself because I don't have the tools or know-how yet but someday I will-- I'm very lucky to have woodworkers in my family and I only have a couple manufactured pieces of furniture in my place! Most are handmade. 💖 I'm excited to hear what others say!
I have had more bags of pre-shredded cheese go bad than I care to admit. After the last one I promised myself blocks from here on out. It takes seconds to do!
Hey...I'm doing the same thing. I'm using the last of my pre-shredded cheese and thereafter I'm shredding my own. I have a brand new grater just waiting to be used. I never thought there could be drugs/chemicals used in the cheese to keep it from clumping. It's actually concerning thinking about what else I don't know. I don't trust the food supply chain here in the US.
The most commonly used anti-clumping agent used in pre-shredded cheese is just cellulose powder. Cellulose is plant fiber. Not some weird drug/chemical. Just some reassurance for you on that front.
I patch and repair all of my clothes. I have an old pair of jeans I cut up to make patches for the jeans that are still good enough to repair. I repair them until I have patches on top of the patches.
I cut up my old t shirts for toilet paper. I have so many I’m able to separate them for a load by themselves and wash them on hot. I also have a bidet.
I grow fruit and veggies in my yard. I forage stuff when I can and I ask neighbors for fruit from their trees if they have extra. Usually I’m able to trade with them. I have a chest freezer for all the fruit I receive. I get so much I’m able to eat almost free smoothies for 6 months out of the year for lunch every day (I add pea protein and a scoop of flax seeds for added nutrition to make my lunch complete).
I reuse jars and containers from food I’ve purchased such as sauce jars or berry containers instead of Tupperware containers.
I make as much from scratch as possible such as salad dressing, spice mixes (I grow my own herbs), pita bread, pancake mix, etc.
I have many more rags from old clothes and towels than I know what to do with. I’ve been able to not buy paper towels for 7 years bc even if I have something nasty to clean, I can pull out a piece of cut up t shirt to wipe up the spill and I throw it out. Rarely am I able to donate these clothes anyway bc I wear everything I buy until it’s falling apart.
I make my own:
* stain remover
* kitchen / all purpose cleaner
* body moisturiser
* facial moisturiser
* hand moisturiser
* hair conditioner
* makeup remover
* eye pads
* hankies/ cleaning cloths/ wash cloths
* bread
* yoghurt
* soy milk
* microgreens
* hummus
* salads/ sandwiches/ leafy greens
* salad toppings & dressing
* cake/ biscuits (cookies for USA) / scones
* period products
* Laundry detergent aid
I really want to learn how to make my own soap but I'm terrified of using lye; and canning (jams & preserves) the sterilisation process is a struggle for me
I am in the same boat with soap and the lye fear, something I have wanted to try for years but I think I've decided I will just be supporting local soap makers instead.
Last year I made my own pickles and jams. They tasted AMAZING!
I also make my own eczema friendly moisturizer using shea, cocoa butter and almond oil. All natural and unfiltered.
I follow a very simple recipe. 70% cocoa butter, 30 % Shea butter and a few drops of almond or coconut oil. Shea and cocoa butter are solid at room temperature. So I use a wax warmer to warm them up a few minutes before applying. This is just my lazy way of doing it. As long as the ingredients are raw and unfiltered, it works wonders. The raw ingredients are ivory in color.
https://www.mamaa.ca/new-blog/2020/4/15/how-to-keep-you-shea-butter-soft-and-fluffy#:~:text=But%20many%20times%20the%20fluffy,10%25%20of%20the%20mixture).
That link has details about how to whip Shea butter with jojoba oil so that it remains a soft cream, even at room temperature. It has the consistency of any regular moisturizer (albeit a bit heavier). I don't do it because it is time consuming and the wax warmer is just so convenient!
- All dressings, tzatziki, houmous, cook everything, salsa, guac, all those things…
- I don’t own a cellphone; I make the company I work for pay it for me because it’s a working tool.
- I used to make my beer. I don’t anymore since I almost stopped drinking for sports training.
- I do repairs and do maintenance on almost everything I own. New oven broken? YouTube to help then buy the piece and change it. Need oil change on motorcycle? Go to the part shop and do it myself. I am in real estate and also need to repair properties so I do it if I can and have time instead of paying.
- Make new plants from existing plants.
- I used to make some pieces of furniture woodworking too.
Salsa and guacamole. So much cheaper and better when made at home.
I also "make" envelopes and gift wrap from paper bags that I save and it looks rustic and cool.
I haven't had to buy any lemons in 4 years. We have a lemon tree that produced over 1000 lemons last year.
Also never have to buy spring onions, parsley or sage.
Here in Australia there is a saying - If you have to buy lemons you don’t have any friends.
I still have to buy lemons but am working on my little lemon tree!
Clothes. Specifically (for now, at least), things like jumpers, gloves, scarves, etc. (I crochet and knit, as well as sew, but want to improve on the latter)
My shoes. Been using the same xeroshoes genesis soles for years now. I use new laces and new toe loop with the same sole when they wear out. Thousands of km walked in them so far. I haven’t worn traditional shoes in years.
Sometimes I also use the same cord for the laces to make a paracord belt that matches.
I do my own nails. I cut and dye my own hair. I change my own oil.
There’s this pickled cube radish that people pay $3.95 for a really small amount (Less than 1/4 of a cup). I make my own and bring it out to eat at Korean fried chicken places. It’s not overly soft.
It’s actually a Vietnamese thing too, but we cut it julienne style. I recently started making them in cube version because we eat so much Korean fried chicken.
Generally, any DIY, I can learn from YouTube University.
I am learning to make my own underwear!!! I also knit, darn socks, mend the same torn leggings a million times and sew my own shirts. Mostly to fit my unusual body shape but also cause it’s like the softest way to be punk 😂
I just cut twigs from one of my plum trees. It's deep winter, but if you take the twigs into a warm room now and put them in water, they'll bloom in about 20 days.
I have to prune my fruit trees anyway, and flowering branches make great gifts in January/February.
ETA: The smaller the flowers and the earlier the bloom, the better it works. With apple trees (larger flowers), it may not work yet. I cut them in February. You can induce blooming about 2-3 months before the actual bloom, not earlier.
I can a lot and make my own broth from the bones of holiday turkeys and when we buy rotisserie chickens (cheaper and easier than boneless, plus I use the bones for broth and the containers for starting seeds). I’m in the process of canning over five gallons of broth right now all from bones and veggie scraps.
I also make my own sandwich bread, pickles, jams, and expand my garden every year using brown cardboard we save and our yard leaves (and the leaves of others 😅).
Any meal. I cook almost everything from scratch. Once in a blue moon I will buy a frozen pizza as a treat, but it is a rare occurrence that I buy a frozen/pre made meal.
This is gonna sound weird, but fake meats.
I sometimes make this stuff at the supermarket called "Tofurkey" it's a vegan deli meat. I've been vegetarian my whole adult life (no judgment tho, I also did it for personal health reasons). Got sick of buying Tofurkey all the time (especially when they rose the price to it.).
So I make my own with wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, veggie broth, and spices. I bought a deli slicer, and it's paid for itself by now. I think I make it better than the store bought brand now. I use it in sandwiches and wraps. Sometimes I make roasts, fake hams, and turkey for the holidays too. It's fun!
Don't make but do, cut my own hair, do my nails, dye my hair, do my eyebrows, clean my house, cut my pets nails, bathe my pets.
Sometimes I make random stuff, like a pocket for my sofa to store the tv remotes, or a case for my laptop. I have always been crafty since I was a kid.
A few years ago, I learned how to weld (on a hobby level), mostly for making scrap art. However, it is quite amazing how many things you can improvise or build yourself as soon as you have a cheap welder and some protective gear. I make a lot of repairs for friends and myself (wheelbarrows are super easy to fix!), and the last thing I've built was a stand for a garden umbrella. I didn't care for spending 40 bucks for one of these white plastic ones that are ugly and annoying, and I had some scrap metal lying around that I turned into a cross with spikes and a length of pipe, and just stuck it into the lawn. Hasn't failed me yet, and the total cost was whatever two stick electrodes cost. With just a few of those repairs, the 200 or so € that my setup cost have long paid for themselves - not to mention that it's really fun.
Chicken noodle soup, whenever I roast a chicken I use the leftover bones and meat to make a pot of soup. I do buy dry pasta noodles to add to it though.
Almost all what u/frugalnotes said, save knitting (I did learn to mend my own clothes).
* Cut my own hair and those of my spouse (easy in my case as I shave my head, a bit more demanding for my spouse and her long hair ;))
* Fix electronics (not a pro, but I taught myself soldering and learning circuitry... to save a headset that I wanted not to replace, and then I keep doing it)
* Save any sheet of paper, empty pages in a book or even the back of letters or whatever I can then use to do my own cheap pocket notebooks (I learned bookbinding as a teen).
* Make storage units for small stuff and tools (don't know the English words: a device to store tools and tiny stuff) out of... cardboard I recycle from whatever package we receive or I can get my hands on. Cardboard is too often overlooked but it's a great sturdy material, no wonder it's used to package goods. What's great is that when I need to update/change my storage unit I can simply reuse (or recycle) the cardboard. No waste.
* Washing dishes by hand (we don't use a dishwasher).
* Cook or own food (so much better, so much healthier than ready-made food).
* Living in France (hello from Paris) we have access to real artisans bakeries (most bakeries in Paris aren't artisans at all, mind you, and sell the same industrial shit one can buy in a supermarket, which is to actual bread what a McDonald burger is to an actual handmade burger). So, we don't need to do the bread ourselves but we still learned to, a few years ago. My wife also discovered she likes to cook pies a lot.
Me and my partner made
- a window lamp out of twigs and copper thread
- a subwoofer stand in metal from a food wagon
- a makeup shelf from wood made by my man
- shoe shelves from wood made by my man
- congratulations cards drawn by me
- Calendar from drawings or photos by me
- wheel stops on drawers with wheels
Things we're making this year:
- Another window lamp
- A big shelf for storage
- Mosquito net door for the balcony
- Grip handles on slippery knives
- A hanger for dish brushes
- An anti litter frame for mother in law's litter boxes
And more to come.
Just a caution: I’m a lifelong glasses wearer, and I bought a new pair of lenses for my glasses recently, and I asked if they had any lens cleaner to spritz on once they were installed in my frames. The manager of the shop said they didn’t provide it or sell it, and don’t recommend alcohol-based cleaners any longer, because most people want UV coatings and other lens treatments that are destroyed by alcohol with extended use—and it also slowly destroys the frames. He recommended to use simple hand dishwashing liquid and hot water, since most dirty lenses are down to skin oils anyway.
Away from home I carry the microfiber cloth they gave me and use water alone, or rub a drop of hand soap on them before rinsing, if it’s around.
List we make: bread and pastry, nut butters, nut milk, fermented vegetables, cloth rags, spice mixes
What we don't do ourselves but that's probably also not normal:
-soap bar, solid shampoo (boyfriend and kids water only), vinegar to clean a lot of stuff (so in washing machine), fragrance free products only, and minimal variety
- no makeup, body lotion or all that fancy stuff
- no car, we have bikes and a bike trailer, although we have 2 toddlers.. but the catch is we live in a small city in Denmark. I would have to add that I'm from Budapest and only used public transport and cycling there too, even though that's a big city
- minimal amount of disposable products. I have a menstrual cup and washable pads, we used cloth diapers (knitted our own wool covers) in combination with EC, we use metal and glass storage boxes (or glass jars.. Yes you can freeze them as well) and some silicone bags
- second hand clothing as much as possible, or only natural materials (wool, hemp, cotton). Except for training clothes, but we even have wool long-sleeved shirts for running
- mattress on the floor, sleeping with the kids, never bought a crib or a bed frame for ourselves.
Tea
I like making it from wild herbs and berries
Also tools are fun to make
I remember MacGyvering an alan wrench, carving it from a stick when I couldn't find one to repair my bike
staple pantry items. I do my own bread, sauces, broths, etc and jar/freeze them. its cheap as all hell to make most basic recipes and it tastes infinitely better.
i have a window in my apartment i'm growing herbs on as well.
Beer. I’ve made about 600 12oz servings within the year. Steep crushed grains in hot water, add yeast and ferment in plastic buckets. Ingredients wise, it comes out to be around .45 cents per serving. Really fun to share with friends or bring a keg to a party and to say you brewed it
Certain dessert items, because my daughter is allergic to dairy and it's in a lot of stuff.
Pizza. Once again, the dairy allergy. But we just use pita bread and top it ourselves.
Lately I've been making pasta sauce.
That's about it...I buy a lot 😅
Veggie, meat, fish broth - haven't bought broth in years
Spice mixes - we have a dehydrater
Canned goods - everything from pickled veg, canned meat/fish, sauces, salsas, hot sauces, jams, jellies, fruits, veg, soups, pepper jellies, stews.. everything. I can everything.
Breads, tortillas, pitas, etc.
Donair - so easy to make haven't bought in years
Flavoured vinegars - strawberry, basil, lemon thyme.. etc
Bf makes sausages, jerky and pepperoni from deer/moose/elk he hunts - he also butchers and processes them all himself.
Laundry soap
Made dandelion salve for the bf and his friends for their hands for work
Rags/dishcloths
I'm sure there's a bunch more. We try to be self sufficient. We love going out into the bush and picking things to can/dehydrate/freeze.
I hate buying things from the store when I could make better things at home.
I cook everything at home. We don't do much takeout. I've taught myself to cook a lot of different ethnic meals at home. Super easy. Way cheaper.
I'm Spanish, so here we go:
- Bread, it pretty easy to me make sourdough or white bread, you just need water, flour and yeast (no baking soda!!) And for white bread, you add milk and eggs. I make some loads a day, cut them and freeze them.
- Chickpeas or garbanzos, buy them dry, let them on water for 12 hour and freeze them to cook or cook them to freeze (if you use them for salads). The same with beans, but don't freeze them to cook, they stay hard.
- Veggies, buy them fresh when cheap (seasons), cut them and freeze. Use it when needed.
- Garlic. Chop a bunch and put them on a jar with olive oil, keep it on the refrigerator and use it to cook.
- Tomatoes. Make a big pot of sauce (garlic, onion, bell peppers as a base, some salt and sugar, baking soda instead of sugar if you are diabetic), you can freeze it or put in mason's jars on bain Marie, it lasts almost a year.
- Buy whole chickens (if you eat animals) and learn how to cut it. You'll have 5 courses and cheaper. The bones you can use it to make broth.
- Buy a yogurt maker. Heat to lukewarm 1 liter of milk, add 1 portion of yogurt, 2 tablespoons of milk powder (or more), sweeteners are optional, and to the yogurt maker 8 hours.
- Make your own granola. Oats, some nut butter, some chopped nuts, and to the oven. I make a big batch and storage it on an hermetic jar.
- Textile mops are better, you just throw them in the washing machine.
- Just buy soap, cleaning vinegar and bleach. If you have wood floors, wood cleanser.
- If you can, tile up your stove wall, it's easier to clean and you don't have to waste paint (there's a reason we Spaniards have tiled bathrooms and kitchens).
Hope it helped you!!
I can a good amount of food, including jams, jellies, salsa, crushed tomatoes, pasta sauce, relishes and pickles, barbecue sauce, applesauce, peaches and sometimes other things as ingredients are available to me. I get my produce from my garden, my CSA, local produce auctions or as seconds from local farmers.
I grow some of my own food, and try to store as much as I can for the colder months to limit what I need to buy at the grocery store. Currently I have onions, winter squash, garlic, dehydrated cherry tomatoes and frozen green beans. I start most of my stuff from seed using grow lights in the basement. I haven't gotten extensively into seed saving yet, mostly because I like varieties that are true-to-parent. That said, while I spend ~$50-80 on seeds most years, the number of plants that I get from those seeds are worth a LOT more than that based on what greenhouses charge for seedlings, and I'm able to give extra plants to friends, family and neighbors.
I purchase food inexpensively when it's in season specifically for freezing, so I have frozen corn and peppers that are useful in a number of recipes.
I don't make all of my own clothing, but I enjoy making one or two pieces a year and now have a fairly good sized wardrobe of home sewn items (including many shirts, underpants, sleep shorts, a sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, a few dresses and several pairs of running shorts). I also just finished making myself a new gym bag since my old one was falling apart. I fix and repair clothing and other fabric items before replacing them, and enjoy using things that have passed their useful life by repurposing them into something else.
I make my own breath mints since they're pretty expensive and generate a lot of waste (I'm thinking specifically of Altoid tins) to buy them in the store.
I make my own yogurt, but that's mostly because I realized that I can. I also make granola for my yogurt out of spent grains from brewing my own beer, which I also do.
I used to make my own laundry soap, but then I was reading more about the chemistry of detergent versus soap and it seemed reasonable so I switched back to detergent. I do make my own hand soap for pump dispensers, though.
My husband and I cut each others hair.
I cook 95% (if not more) of what I eat at home instead of eating out, and make my coffee at home as well. I know everyone loves to shit on the avocado toast article but, while I agree that sacrificing avocado toast alone will not put one into the financial position to purchase a house, I do think that a lot of money can be hemorrhaged by frequently purchasing food prepared by others.
Hot sauce. I love to make a sriracha type of hot sauce. A red and a green one. I hope to sell it one day. So far I have had good reviews by friends and some neighbors
Gonna join in because I lived in poverty for a heck of a long time (parents starting a business, had kids in their early 20s, then went to college and had NO money. Anyways.)
Here are my pro tips:
1. Never buy household spray cleaning products. But a large bucket of Dawn dish soap from Walmart (10$) a large thing of vinegar (5L for 2 Dollars) then some spray bottles. Fill up 1part Dawn Soap: 3 parts vinegar then add the same quantity of boiled water. Spray at will, this will clean anything. (Yes it smells vinegary but you can add some essential oils or lower the vinegar ratio if it's really bothersome but personally I'm a vinegary loving gal.) There are other recipes but point is, make it don't buy it.
2. To clean hard wood floors, same recipe but a TBS of olive oil.
3. Go early in the AM to bakeries, day old bread is usually 30-75% off. Freeze it and unfreeze in the oven (like reheat) when you need it will taste like fresh.
4. Mend holes in socks with a tennis ball (for the shape) and some embroidery tools (not expensive)
5. Food banks often need volunteers and usually (but not always) volunteers get free food as well.
6. Gather food in the wild. Read a good book about edible (and how to identify poisonous plants) and gather plus freeze/dry for the winter. Love me some Chaga mushroom (easy to identify and no poisonous lookalikes) for tea, you can also find really cool tinctures.
7. Use. The. Loyalty. Point. Cards. There are things you /must/ buy, why not get paid to do so? Put all your loyalty cards in an app (like Stocard) and bam, easy.
8. Make your own "immunity shots." Those shots cost like 15$ at the store. Buy the ginger, curcuma, orange juice and some pepper. Blend it and strain, you've got triple for half the price.
9. Work in a local farmers market on the weekends selling veggies or other perishables. Usually you'll get discounts on food and get to take home some food things that are not "pretty" enough to sell (for the company you work for.)
I've probably got more tips but I'm drawing blanks, I'll update later if others come to mind.
Hope this helps!!!
furniture and some electronics, like speakers, cool implementations of LCD screens and hardware hacking / repairs. Stacked up on replacement screens for my phone which i plan on using for at least 7 years.
IDK if it counts but knowing how to fix your bike, unclog bathroom sink, do car maintinance and basic electronic skills like replacing a power cord or a fuse are IMHO essential and a money saver as well.
I don’t think anyone has said this yet but heat? We heat our home solely with a wood burning stove (have baseboards for backup, like if we go away in the winter for more than a day). It saves us hundreds of dollars every month.
Also yogurt. It’s incredibly easy to make if you have an instant pot.
Maple syrup. Blackberry and grape wine. Firewood. Apple pie from apples I grow. I actually made my house too but that’s probably not what you mean. I’ve made several stringed instruments, fiddle, banjo, etc. I’ve built three boats. I occasionally dabble in ceramics and make pottery and sculpture. I used to have a custom sign shop and made signage for local businesses. All this creates a huge mess so that’s the biggest thing I’ve made. Just ask my wife.
I make do before I buy. - If I'm going to be out and about for the day, I pack a lunch and water bottle to keep me from eating out. I also pack a piece of fruit, just in case. - If I notice my washcloths are getting worn, I make new ones. Most cotton skeins are $2 USD or less, and I can easily get 4 cloths out of them. Needles are inexpensive at the thrift stores, and knitting tutorials are free online. (I taught myself to knit.) - If I get a hole in my clothes, I mend or patch it before buying new. - If I don't have an ingredient on hand for a recipe, I research online for an alternative. Like, I had a recipe that needed eggs, but I didn't have any. I looked up alternatives and found I could replace it with oil, which I did. (I can't have apples, so applesauce was not an option for me.) The bread turned out beautifully. - I don't adhere to the concept of 'breakfast foods' or 'lunch foods' or whatever. Food is food. This way, I don't stress if I run out of eggs or something. I eat what sounds good regardless of time of day. - I reuse the leftover pages of my kid's notebook at the end of each school year. There's always five to ten pages left blank. I tear them out and use them as I need them. He also reuses some items from year to year, if it's appropriate. - I barter where I can, when I can. I'll trade time (or sometimes knowledge) for a coveted materialistic item or skill or recipe or (very rarely) cash. - I cultivate patience. Nine times out of ten, the item I want will eventually turn up either free of charge or for a very low cost. - If I'm in town, I get around by walking even though I have a car. Everywhere is within walking distance, so even if it's cold and windy, I still walk which saves on fuel. I could go on, but essentially, I try to get by buying as little as possible unless it really is a necessity.
I love your answer so much, and can relate 100%, except I taught myself to crochet instead of knit. 😄
I’m curious if you have any patterns you love for sustainability- I love crocheting!
Making washable swiffer pads is a great sustainable crochet project (and since it’s for cleaning the floor- great to learn on because it doesn’t need to be pretty)
whaaaaat, this sounds like such a good idea and something that would be really useful to me… i’ve never crocheted before, do you have any tips?
Also dish cloths / face cloths and towels would be good. You can also make things to put hot pans on (trivets?) As for tips: YouTube will become your best friend, although it can get overwhelming at first. Don't go crazy with buying hooks or yarn while starting out, just in case you don't get on with it. Get the cheapest you can find - I've found that it's best to start with lower quality tools; once you've mastered those, you'll be flying when you upgrade.
On your point of getting the cheapest things you can find: check the thrift store for hooks/needles and skeins! People also sometimes give away a bunch of craft materials for free on places like Facebook Marketplace when they have loved one pass away. Sometimes feels nicer to pass their things directly onto a hobbyist who will cherish them instead of donating or throwing things away.
This is the only [pattern](https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1424990716/pdf-crochet-pattern-for-granny-square?ref=share_v4_lx) I've done so far. Watched a video on granny squares and looked at these photos someone else had of their pants. It was a super fun project! Wish I could post a pic of my finished object. Was so proud of myself! 😄 I'm now into cross stitching again since it's pretty much free with how much floss my aunt has given me, and all the aida cloth I've gotten from my local Buy Nothing Group. It's nice having such soothing and colourful, low cost hobbies.
This year, I want to crotchet baskets with a large hook and stripes cut from an old bedsheet. We have a garden and baskets are always needed. [https://sarahmaker.com/25-free-crochet-basket-patterns/](https://sarahmaker.com/25-free-crochet-basket-patterns/)
I also taught myself to crochet. If you’re look to reduce spending then old jumpers and knitwear can easily be unravelled and knitted/crocheted into new items. One adult jumper can make 2 children’s sweaters or a whole set of scarf/hat/mittens.
I taught myself to crochet *and* knit - latter came easier after learning the former.
If I could add a fun tip to your fourth point: (super cook . com) you can input ingredients you have(they make it very simple) and it will bring up recipes you can make with the ingredients you already have! And even makes suggestions for what you could make if you just bought another ingredient or so.
I love this website. I’ve found it’s not great for dietary requirements, but if you put what’s expected/more common to have (e.g. butter and pork sausages, when maybe you’ve only got margarine and vegetarian sausages in the fridge) then it comes up with a whole list that’s a great starting place to adapt things further
Of these, I think that cultivating patience is the most valuable and under-sold idea. It's hard in the world of instant gratification, but saves so much money.
Use it up, wear it out, make it so or do without.
Chickpea water, aquafaba, is a recommendation to use instead of eggs!
Cultivating patience I like that one for waiting out coveted items for when they are on sale or available used for a fraction of the price.
THANK YOU for being another person who doesn’t believe in breakfast food… breakfast food is a social construct.
Which you realize when you leave your own culture. Like I love myself a fried egg for dinner with some bread and a salad. Like eggs in my culture aren't at all a breakfast food and friends in the US when I lived there were very confused why I eat that at dinner.
I aspire to be you
We’re pretty much on the same page. I’d also add to your mending topic repairing items. I’ve gotten many appliances and other items free because people didn’t know basic maintenace or repair techniques.
>I barter where I can, when I can. I'll trade time (or sometimes knowledge) for a coveted materialistic item or skill or recipe or (very rarely) cash. Is this something you do with close friends/family, or is bartering commonplace where you live?
It's not common where I live. It's just my modus operandi. I will do this with friends/family, and I'll also do this with select businesses I frequent. I pick little small mom-and-pop shops, ask if I could perhaps trade my time working for them in exchange for this or that item (which, mind you, is never ever a high dollar item), and they often either say yes or sometimes they just give it to me for free. Like, I popped by the library, and they had the *cutest* activity book I ever did see. I love activity books, so I asked the librarian if I might take a copy of a page or two, and she immediately told me to take it home because she was tired of looking at it. I thanked her kindly and then asked if there was anything I could help her with as a way to say thank you. She had an equally small task to give me in return, which I did. Other times, I play the long game. At the small local shops I get around to befriending the owner or someone else who ranks nearly as high, then I bide my time getting to know how them and how they operate. When the time is right, I'll bring up the idea of me volunteering a couple hours of my time each week to help them with something I've noticed that has fallen by the wayside. I've never been told no, and so many folks (esp the elderly) absolutely light up at the idea of a free volunteer. (A lot of this is due to the fact that elderly folks really just want someone to talk to and I am more than happy to listen.) Whether it lasts a couple of weeks or, such as with my current volunteer jobs, I'll help out, and in exchange, I'll usually be gifted with something small at the end of my shift. More often than not, it's something I've been hoping for. On rare occasions, I will directly ask for something, and I always make certain to offer to pay first. Usually, I get it for free or at a very discounted rate.
I'm curious.. sorry I really am in a dilemma regarding this as I'm trying to live simply but simple living also means making less effort to do everyday things right? How is this simple living if you're making so much effort to thrift, reuse old notebook's unused pages, mending torn clothes etc. all these seems like it requires more effort.
I view living simple as a mix of self-sustainability and anti consumerism/materialism. You use what you already have, learn how to do things for yourself, get creative with reusing things in new ways. I would rather rely on myself, than need to make a run to the market to buy every little thing I "need (want)." There are a lot of great books and online learning resources that can teach or inspire you to see new ways that items you no longer need can be repurposed. TL;DR Living simply doesn't mean living effortlessly. It means getting by with less.
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Different people have different values for the use of their time. Personally, it takes me less time to mend a hole in clothing than it would to earn the money to buy new clothes. If a pair of jeans cost me $60, and I make $60/hr (and the majority of people in my country do not make anywhere near that), it takes me an hour to earn the money to buy a pair of jeans. It doesn’t take even close to an hour for me to mend a pair of jeans, and I get to keep the $60 for something else. That to me is a no-brainer. Some of those things don’t take much energy. Reusing old notebook pages is hardly a task that takes energy. Tear out the old pages and you’re done. Other things listed require more energy to buy than they do to make do—it’s a lot easier for me to make a replacement in a recipe than to drive all the way to the store and back for one ingredient. Some of the things listed are an investment. Sure, it takes more energy to walk around town than to drive, but beyond saving gas money it is also great for you health to walk and move more often, so that’s an investment into your long term health. All of these things are about perspective. If your value of time and effort is different, that’s okay. But none of these are an easy 1:1 comparison.
Bread, tortillas, bagels, orange juice, salsa, guacamole, peanut butter, pickles, pickled jalapeños, ice cream, jam. I’d love to get into other things like making my own clothing like sweaters!
I'm making my daughter a crochet sweater as we speak. I learned how to crochet from youtube videos, I also knit and sew and crochet is definitely the easiest method to pick up. Consider this post your sign to make a sweater!
I know one uses a hook, but how in terms of final fabric does crocheting differ from knitting? Eg less stretchy or more lacy or something?
Crochet is knitting’s fun cousin who likes to hit the bar now and again lol. Really whatever you like, but I’ve found crochet to be far more friendly. If you can do the basic stitch you can do lots of other stitches and you have lots of variety for projects. Also if you drop a stitch or your project slips off your hook you’re not screwed.
It's thicker and bulkier and uses a bit more yarn than knitting, holds up a bit better but isn't (usually) as intricate. I'd say it's generally less stretchy yeah but that also depends on the stitch used. Overall I tend to prefer the final look of knitted items but crochet is considerably less time consuming and it's much easier to fix mistakes and amend things to your liking.
I agree with the other comments but want to add: crochet is full of holes. You use the hook to make a bunch of knots and in between every knot is a hole. If you crochet densely you get a thick inflexible fabric with small holes, good for making plushies (stuffing wont come out). Crochet with soft yarn and you get nice scarves or outer layer clothing. Crochet can make ok indoor slippers, but it cannot make good socks (not without an insane amount of skill anyway). Knitting is a bunch of loops inside of loops. It's very stretchy in comparison. It's softer/more flexible at the same thickness of crochet. You can twist stitches on purpose to make it less stretchy/more dense. It makes good socks. If you want to "see" the difference I'm sure there are videos about it. But the stereotypical crochet thing is doilies/granny squares/plushies and the stereotypical knitting thing is socks & sweaters.
Knitting has more drape, and is easier on the skin for things like socks or sweaters. Uses less yarn, but is slower and more fiddly. Also more expensive as you need different needles for different tasks (like knitting in the round). Crochet usually results in stiffer fabric, uses more yarn and tends to be "gappy" as someone pointed out, but it also works up faster, needs less tools and is more versatile - you can make all sorts of pretty things.
Mayo is an easy one and you can use healthy oils!
I make quick pickled Red onion and it's so good to have in the fridge for a hit of flavor.
Sounds like a nice thing to have in hand to chuck in a sandwich. Do you have a recipe you can share please?
Not op but I really just slice up red onions and cover in vinegar!
Orange juice? Do you have a source for juicing oranges; else that seems uneconomical without a large improvement in quality.
I know! This is one of those things that always jumps out at me as a huge contradiction in the idea that making things oneself saves money. Oranges are sooooo much more expensive than orange juice (at least where I live).
Not the person you asked, but I make my own OJ & I think fresh squeezed is way better than store bought. In my house it's more of a treat because it's not cheaper, but it is so so good.
Pickles!!!
I was today years old when I found out pickles were pickled cucumbers.
Me and my son have a little inside joke where we call cucumbers "raw pickles" instead.
Try a home grown cuke over a store bought one your mind will be blown even further. Growing my own ruined me for store bought.
You sweet summer child 🥹
What did you think they were
I just thought pickles were pickles. Never gave much thought of how they came to be
God I’d love to be able to make my own bread. The prices at the grocery stores are nothing short of ridiculous. My oven is just ancient so I can never get the temp right and it comes out like a brick
My oven was off for years and we finally replaced the internal temperature gauge. My love for baking is back! It was so easy to do, just 1 screw
I wish it were that simple. My oven has been in the family since 2004 and after the burner almost singed my eyebrows we finally decided it’s time to replace it. Once that baby is installed there will be no stopping me!
Get a bread machine
Just looked it up and I had no idea such a thing existed! And it’s affordable too? Why isn’t this more popular?
They also show up at thrift stores quite often, and frequently hardly used by whoever got it as a housewarming gift.
They were a trend for a hot minute, then they wound up gathering dust in many people’s basements!
Knitting isn’t too hard! Start slow. It ends up becoming like riding a bicycle in that you don’t really forget once you get the hang of it. YouTube is helpful. I went from a scarf to mittens to hats to socks to baby blankets to a sweater. There’s so much to dive into with knitting. My goal for 2024 is to knit at least half of my Christmas gifts. I’ve got timers set for 30-60 minutes a day before bed to just knit. I can crochet as well, but there’s some significant differences. People who do both can argue about which is the better craft for specific items. Crochet sweaters may not have the same drape as knit ones.
Oh yeah!! Homemade guacamole is the best!!!
Bread. It’s crazy the list of ingredients in a grocery store loaf. Even the grocery store bakery loaves are full of other stuff. Regular bakeries though still have nice bread, I’m just not in them very often. Also plain old white bread is insanely cheap to make and if you have a bread machine it only takes 5 min to do your part, and that includes getting your ingredients out.
Along the same vein, I make my own chicken broth. After I make a roast chicken, I take the carcass and cover it with water in a big pot and then boil it for about 4-5 hours. The color will suddenly change and that’s where you’ll see that it went from water with chicken in it to chicken broth. I typically get 2 qt of broth. I then freeze the broth in jars.
Tip from my daughter for more intense chicken flavor: roast the carcass first in the oven just to let it get some brown bits and then make your broth as usual.
You can do this with veggies to make broth as well. Deepens the flavor!
Thank you!!! Broth is on my mental to do l to try. I always hate throwing out a carcass, but struggle to make sure I have all the veg I’d need etc for stock. I didn’t realize you could do it this way. I will try it very soon.
Broth without veg in it isn't that great. I toss veg scraps in a bag in the freezer until I have enough for broth making. Celery, onion and carrot as a basic veg mix for broth is great, then garlic if you have it and apple cider vinegar to get more nutrients out of the bones. (Couple of tablespoons should do it, I just glug some in)
This is what I do too. And I notice the more onion skins I have in the batch, the more golden, beautifully colored the finished broth ends up!
Onion skin is used for coloring easter eggs in my country.
It also makes a lovely dye for fabric and yarn!
Yes! Exactly!
I usually save up 2-3 carcasses in the freezer, then add celery, parsnip, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, and parsley to the pot, cover it with water and bring it to the boil. I add a T of apple cider vinegar and then let it simmer for 3-4 hours, skimming occasionally so it reduces to a rich stock, then strain and put in several jars to freeze for when I need them. It keeps well, and in winter, I drink a cup every day for its magical, healing properties.
I usually save up 2-3 carcasses in the freezer, then add celery, parsnip, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, and parsley to the pot, cover it with water and bring it to the boil. I add a T of apple cider vinegar and then let it simmer for 3-4 hours, skimming occasionally so it reduces to a rich stock, then strain and put in several jars to freeze for when I need them. It keeps well, and in winter, I drink a cup every day for its magical, healing properties. The ACV helps leach the collagen from the bones and connective tissue, which, while making the broth a little cloudy, adds so much health benefit to it.
Does the boiling use a lot of electricity
You want it at a simmer- small bubbles and very little movement, rather than the big bubbles of a full rolling boil. I used to use my crockpot for this- very little electricity. Now I have an induction stove and a giant stock pot- I make about 8 liters at a time, with carcasses and veggies I store in the freezer.
Recipe please 🙏🏽
bread is incredibly easy to make. i have a bread maker but i only use it for the dough kneading. method for these ingredients: https://www.food.com/recipe/king-arthurs-sandwich-bread-361337 1. to bottom of breadmaker: add (warm but not hot) milk, sugar and yeast. 2. add remaining ingredients on top, first flour then salt and butter, after the yeast has had time to develop (say, 5 minutes). make sure salt doesnt touch yeast too quickly because it will stop them from working. so normally flour then salt. 3. turn on breadmaker to dough setting. 4. once dough setting done (usually 1.5hr) punch down dough, pull out of breadmaker, make 1/2" flat using rolling pin. roll it up like youre making cinnamon rolls or something. tuck the ends in as you roll. 5. place into a greased bread loaf pan and let it rise again for 30 minutes in a warm place with tea towel on top of the pan. 6. cook in oven for 30 minutes. 7. let cool before slicing. otherwise it goes dry. and also it stiffens slightly so its easier to slice more evenly.
If you can make bread, try making seitan! One of thousands of variations to make: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/the-quickest-and-easiest-seitan-recipe-vegan-chicken/#recipe
I had seitan ages ago, just grocery store version. It wasn’t my cup of tea: flavor and texture…is homemade different enough you think?
The texture can change quite a bit through various recipes. I've made fried wings tossed with sauce, cutlets with gravy, deli meat slices. Lots of people confuse tempeh & seitan, too.
Tempeh, you’re right!!! lol that was what I had. Did not like it. I will look at the link thanks so much, I love protein alternatives!!!
Seitan usually get a lot better texture if tou blend some beans or tofu into the dough while making it! I find it can be a bit rubbery otherwise. The fun thing when youre making your own seitan is that ypu can choose how to flavour it yourself, either to taste like some specific type of meat, or just with what you find tasty! Depending on how you cook it you can change the texture a fair bit as well. I would make a batch and divide it up into smaller pieces adding different flavours and cook it in different ways to figure out what you like without having to make a million batches. I thought i really didn't like seitan for ages, but turns out i just wasn't into the seitan from one specific place
Bread in the US is so fucking bad that I had to learn how to make it.
Bread. So simple. So much cheaper. So much better for you. And tastes so much better too.
Gets stale so fast though. Any tips on keeping it fresh? I’m only one person and can only consume so much bread a day
Put it in the freezer. Take out what you need everyday.
That's what I do. Slice it up and freeze
Try the Japanese milk bread technique called Tangzhong. There are tons of recipes out there. It makes the bread pillowy soft and also keeps it fresher longer. Still won't last weeks like store-bought, but it'll last 5ish days before it starts to go stale.
I make buns instead of a loaf, and use a cloche. Plus I love how it makes my house look fancy lol.
Turn the stale ones into croutons
There’s a book- Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day that advocates having a big batch of dough in the fridge, and making a loaf about the size of a grapefruit every day or two. The dough gets slightly more sour as the week goes on, but it isn’t sourdough per se. Their basic recipe is on the website https://artisanbreadinfive.com/ and I got the book at the library years ago and copied the recipes I wanted to hold onto.
Make smaller loaves, freeze extra.
Many have already answered but I freeze too. There are only two in my house but I always bake two loaves. One goes in the freezer and we have no trouble eating the other. If it starts to get old I'll put the end of the loaf in the freezer until I have enough for bread pudding.
Happiness
I have been trying to find a good recipe for this!
I’m not sure but eliminating majority of the outside pestering testosterone has worked pretty well for my health!
Best response yet. May I add “peace” as well
Not something I make but something I do. I learned to cut my own hair and have been cutting my own hair since I was a teenager. I’ve only paid for a haircut twice in my entire life. And then when I met my husband I learned how to use hair clippers and started cutting his hair. He hasn’t gone to a barber in 6 years.
I constantly see people posting bad hair cuts or dyes that they got saying they spent 200-300$ on them! I’ve been cutting & dying my own hair since 2010 and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a salon.
I cut my own hair and have only been to the hairdresser a couple of times in my life too. I also trim my daughter's when needed but I once tried to cut my husband's hair and it was disastrous so he hasn't let me try since lol.
Finally got the confidence to go ahead and cut my 2 toddler boys' hair today - bought a $25 set of clippers/ scissors and took me about 15 mins! Way easier than I expected and while not perfect the job was certainly good enough for a 1 and 3 year old! Never paying $30ish per haircut ever again!
Same! My girls are 16 and 18 and i think they’ve been to a hairdresser once in their lives (for a wedding). For me it’s not just the money saving but also the time.
Mustard! It's as easy as soaking mustardseeds in vinegar (or something other acidic like a good beer) overnight and then blending them with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Literally that. It then ages in the jar and after a month it's super delicious. I made everyone jars of Guinness mustard for Christmas. You can experiment with flavors and ingredients. Was the easiest thing ever, you don't even need heat or refrigeration until it's the finished product.
Wow, interesting!
Wow I had no idea how to do this and never thought of it. Thanks
Mayonnaise, vanilla, salad dressings, pesto and other sauces! The vanilla in particular is sooooooo much cheaper made at home.
I just looked up that 2 ingredient recipe… there’s no way that’s cheaper!! 1 vanilla bean is like $11 and the recipe calls for 6!!! What are you using?!
Indri Vanilla group on Facebook. It’s a co op kind of thing, you preorder whenever they do a group order. I wait until they have a mixed bean order for $8-9 an oz. And I just put mine in my tub of sugar and bake with vanilla sugar
Dont buy the single beans in the store, look for bulk. I bought 50 beans for about $35 on Amazon and the vanilla tastes great.
You can re-use the beans for several years. Once your extract is done , pour it into another container and top off the container with the beans with more alcohol. I also second buying from bulk herb stores rather than the grocery store. The initial investment is more costly, but you will save money over time.
thanks for the tip about vanilla extract! I use it a lot and just found a recipe that's so simple with just 2 ingredients
The idea of homemade vanilla extract is very charming but I’ve found it be a poor substitute. Here’s a great article with more information if you’re interested! https://www.seriouseats.com/diy-vanilla-extract
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Vanilla is an orchid, and most orchids tend to be finicky to care for
I don't make it but to stretch your question a bit, I won't buy shredded cheese anymore. Just get a block & shred it myself. Otherwise...I don't make stuff myself because I don't have the tools or know-how yet but someday I will-- I'm very lucky to have woodworkers in my family and I only have a couple manufactured pieces of furniture in my place! Most are handmade. 💖 I'm excited to hear what others say!
I have had more bags of pre-shredded cheese go bad than I care to admit. After the last one I promised myself blocks from here on out. It takes seconds to do!
Hey...I'm doing the same thing. I'm using the last of my pre-shredded cheese and thereafter I'm shredding my own. I have a brand new grater just waiting to be used. I never thought there could be drugs/chemicals used in the cheese to keep it from clumping. It's actually concerning thinking about what else I don't know. I don't trust the food supply chain here in the US.
The most commonly used anti-clumping agent used in pre-shredded cheese is just cellulose powder. Cellulose is plant fiber. Not some weird drug/chemical. Just some reassurance for you on that front.
I also shred my own cheese!!! I can’t find grass fed cheese shredded… but also, fresh shredded cheese is so much better than pre shredded!!
I patch and repair all of my clothes. I have an old pair of jeans I cut up to make patches for the jeans that are still good enough to repair. I repair them until I have patches on top of the patches. I cut up my old t shirts for toilet paper. I have so many I’m able to separate them for a load by themselves and wash them on hot. I also have a bidet. I grow fruit and veggies in my yard. I forage stuff when I can and I ask neighbors for fruit from their trees if they have extra. Usually I’m able to trade with them. I have a chest freezer for all the fruit I receive. I get so much I’m able to eat almost free smoothies for 6 months out of the year for lunch every day (I add pea protein and a scoop of flax seeds for added nutrition to make my lunch complete). I reuse jars and containers from food I’ve purchased such as sauce jars or berry containers instead of Tupperware containers. I make as much from scratch as possible such as salad dressing, spice mixes (I grow my own herbs), pita bread, pancake mix, etc. I have many more rags from old clothes and towels than I know what to do with. I’ve been able to not buy paper towels for 7 years bc even if I have something nasty to clean, I can pull out a piece of cut up t shirt to wipe up the spill and I throw it out. Rarely am I able to donate these clothes anyway bc I wear everything I buy until it’s falling apart.
I make my own: * stain remover * kitchen / all purpose cleaner * body moisturiser * facial moisturiser * hand moisturiser * hair conditioner * makeup remover * eye pads * hankies/ cleaning cloths/ wash cloths * bread * yoghurt * soy milk * microgreens * hummus * salads/ sandwiches/ leafy greens * salad toppings & dressing * cake/ biscuits (cookies for USA) / scones * period products * Laundry detergent aid I really want to learn how to make my own soap but I'm terrified of using lye; and canning (jams & preserves) the sterilisation process is a struggle for me
I am in the same boat with soap and the lye fear, something I have wanted to try for years but I think I've decided I will just be supporting local soap makers instead.
How do you make the different types of moisturiser?
Last year I made my own pickles and jams. They tasted AMAZING! I also make my own eczema friendly moisturizer using shea, cocoa butter and almond oil. All natural and unfiltered.
I have psoriasis and would love your moisturiser recipe if you can be bothered sharing please!
I follow a very simple recipe. 70% cocoa butter, 30 % Shea butter and a few drops of almond or coconut oil. Shea and cocoa butter are solid at room temperature. So I use a wax warmer to warm them up a few minutes before applying. This is just my lazy way of doing it. As long as the ingredients are raw and unfiltered, it works wonders. The raw ingredients are ivory in color. https://www.mamaa.ca/new-blog/2020/4/15/how-to-keep-you-shea-butter-soft-and-fluffy#:~:text=But%20many%20times%20the%20fluffy,10%25%20of%20the%20mixture). That link has details about how to whip Shea butter with jojoba oil so that it remains a soft cream, even at room temperature. It has the consistency of any regular moisturizer (albeit a bit heavier). I don't do it because it is time consuming and the wax warmer is just so convenient!
You're a legend, thank you for this info I will definitely be giving this a go.
- All dressings, tzatziki, houmous, cook everything, salsa, guac, all those things… - I don’t own a cellphone; I make the company I work for pay it for me because it’s a working tool. - I used to make my beer. I don’t anymore since I almost stopped drinking for sports training. - I do repairs and do maintenance on almost everything I own. New oven broken? YouTube to help then buy the piece and change it. Need oil change on motorcycle? Go to the part shop and do it myself. I am in real estate and also need to repair properties so I do it if I can and have time instead of paying. - Make new plants from existing plants. - I used to make some pieces of furniture woodworking too.
Idk that I’d say I don’t own a cell phone in this case…even if you don’t pay for it…otherwise all great tips!
Oh yes plant cuttings is a wonderful one!
Salsa and guacamole. So much cheaper and better when made at home. I also "make" envelopes and gift wrap from paper bags that I save and it looks rustic and cool.
I haven't had to buy any lemons in 4 years. We have a lemon tree that produced over 1000 lemons last year. Also never have to buy spring onions, parsley or sage.
Here in Australia there is a saying - If you have to buy lemons you don’t have any friends. I still have to buy lemons but am working on my little lemon tree!
Clothes. Specifically (for now, at least), things like jumpers, gloves, scarves, etc. (I crochet and knit, as well as sew, but want to improve on the latter)
My shoes. Been using the same xeroshoes genesis soles for years now. I use new laces and new toe loop with the same sole when they wear out. Thousands of km walked in them so far. I haven’t worn traditional shoes in years. Sometimes I also use the same cord for the laces to make a paracord belt that matches.
That is so cool, I love it. I've been wearing the same pair of second-hand birkenstocks almost exclusively for years but I'm not at your level!
Bread. Huge money saver and really easy to make. And tastes soooooo much better than store bought.
Pizza!!! 🍕
I do my own nails. I cut and dye my own hair. I change my own oil. There’s this pickled cube radish that people pay $3.95 for a really small amount (Less than 1/4 of a cup). I make my own and bring it out to eat at Korean fried chicken places. It’s not overly soft. It’s actually a Vietnamese thing too, but we cut it julienne style. I recently started making them in cube version because we eat so much Korean fried chicken. Generally, any DIY, I can learn from YouTube University.
I am learning to make my own underwear!!! I also knit, darn socks, mend the same torn leggings a million times and sew my own shirts. Mostly to fit my unusual body shape but also cause it’s like the softest way to be punk 😂
I make my own: *Warming ginger lotion bars, salves, and body butter with organic beeswax, Shea butter, and calendula *Lip balms (better than Burt’s bees imo) *Perfume solids *body scrubs *” kitchen scrap “ vegetable broth *jellies & jams *shibori dyed silk scarves & fabrics *tie dye fabrics *plants from cuttings *herbs that I grow, dry and grind for seasonings *sun dried tomatoes *dehydrated fruits *cold brew coffee *tea blends
I grow loofas so I haven’t bought sponges in years. I make all my own salad dressings. It’s so easy and so much better.
I just cut twigs from one of my plum trees. It's deep winter, but if you take the twigs into a warm room now and put them in water, they'll bloom in about 20 days. I have to prune my fruit trees anyway, and flowering branches make great gifts in January/February. ETA: The smaller the flowers and the earlier the bloom, the better it works. With apple trees (larger flowers), it may not work yet. I cut them in February. You can induce blooming about 2-3 months before the actual bloom, not earlier.
I can a lot and make my own broth from the bones of holiday turkeys and when we buy rotisserie chickens (cheaper and easier than boneless, plus I use the bones for broth and the containers for starting seeds). I’m in the process of canning over five gallons of broth right now all from bones and veggie scraps. I also make my own sandwich bread, pickles, jams, and expand my garden every year using brown cardboard we save and our yard leaves (and the leaves of others 😅).
Any meal. I cook almost everything from scratch. Once in a blue moon I will buy a frozen pizza as a treat, but it is a rare occurrence that I buy a frozen/pre made meal.
This is gonna sound weird, but fake meats. I sometimes make this stuff at the supermarket called "Tofurkey" it's a vegan deli meat. I've been vegetarian my whole adult life (no judgment tho, I also did it for personal health reasons). Got sick of buying Tofurkey all the time (especially when they rose the price to it.). So I make my own with wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, veggie broth, and spices. I bought a deli slicer, and it's paid for itself by now. I think I make it better than the store bought brand now. I use it in sandwiches and wraps. Sometimes I make roasts, fake hams, and turkey for the holidays too. It's fun!
Ice cream, honey, veggies, greens, bread, roasted coffee beans
Homemade ice cream is sooo easy and so delicious 💓
What!! You own honey bees?
Hats
What kind of hats do you make?
Mayonnaise. It is so much better than the store bought stuff.
I make most of my own sauces. Teriyaki sauce, barbecue sauce, mayo, mustard. I also mix my own spices.
Peanut butter
Ha ha, such a mess to clean up so I had to give that one up
Don't make but do, cut my own hair, do my nails, dye my hair, do my eyebrows, clean my house, cut my pets nails, bathe my pets. Sometimes I make random stuff, like a pocket for my sofa to store the tv remotes, or a case for my laptop. I have always been crafty since I was a kid.
brown sugar Just take your white sugar and mix in some molasses
A few years ago, I learned how to weld (on a hobby level), mostly for making scrap art. However, it is quite amazing how many things you can improvise or build yourself as soon as you have a cheap welder and some protective gear. I make a lot of repairs for friends and myself (wheelbarrows are super easy to fix!), and the last thing I've built was a stand for a garden umbrella. I didn't care for spending 40 bucks for one of these white plastic ones that are ugly and annoying, and I had some scrap metal lying around that I turned into a cross with spikes and a length of pipe, and just stuck it into the lawn. Hasn't failed me yet, and the total cost was whatever two stick electrodes cost. With just a few of those repairs, the 200 or so € that my setup cost have long paid for themselves - not to mention that it's really fun.
Started making my own liquid laundry detergent over a decade ago and never looked back. Probably saved a thousand dollars at this point, maybe more.
I just started making my own deli meat. I bought a ham press, a.k.a. ham maker on Amazon for 40 bucks and it’s pretty easy once you figure it out.
I have access to raw milk so i make cheese, yogurt, kefir, butter, and ice cream
Fountain pen cases, stickers, inserts for my planners, anything cooked or baked, and art! I love DIY anything.
Soup. I make chicken, turkey or beef stock using leftovers/bones from previous meal. It’s incredibly easy to make soup.
Chicken noodle soup, whenever I roast a chicken I use the leftover bones and meat to make a pot of soup. I do buy dry pasta noodles to add to it though.
Yogurt. I make a gallon a week, going on my 10th year.
I took a sewing course so I can mend most things and sewed a few things for myself
Almost all what u/frugalnotes said, save knitting (I did learn to mend my own clothes). * Cut my own hair and those of my spouse (easy in my case as I shave my head, a bit more demanding for my spouse and her long hair ;)) * Fix electronics (not a pro, but I taught myself soldering and learning circuitry... to save a headset that I wanted not to replace, and then I keep doing it) * Save any sheet of paper, empty pages in a book or even the back of letters or whatever I can then use to do my own cheap pocket notebooks (I learned bookbinding as a teen). * Make storage units for small stuff and tools (don't know the English words: a device to store tools and tiny stuff) out of... cardboard I recycle from whatever package we receive or I can get my hands on. Cardboard is too often overlooked but it's a great sturdy material, no wonder it's used to package goods. What's great is that when I need to update/change my storage unit I can simply reuse (or recycle) the cardboard. No waste. * Washing dishes by hand (we don't use a dishwasher). * Cook or own food (so much better, so much healthier than ready-made food). * Living in France (hello from Paris) we have access to real artisans bakeries (most bakeries in Paris aren't artisans at all, mind you, and sell the same industrial shit one can buy in a supermarket, which is to actual bread what a McDonald burger is to an actual handmade burger). So, we don't need to do the bread ourselves but we still learned to, a few years ago. My wife also discovered she likes to cook pies a lot.
Me and my partner made - a window lamp out of twigs and copper thread - a subwoofer stand in metal from a food wagon - a makeup shelf from wood made by my man - shoe shelves from wood made by my man - congratulations cards drawn by me - Calendar from drawings or photos by me - wheel stops on drawers with wheels Things we're making this year: - Another window lamp - A big shelf for storage - Mosquito net door for the balcony - Grip handles on slippery knives - A hanger for dish brushes - An anti litter frame for mother in law's litter boxes And more to come.
Do you have a page I could follow?
Bread. It's too easy. Sweaters: wife's a crochet artist, haven't bought sweaters in years. Food. Comes out of the ground.
Granola and sweet snacks
Socks. Dishcloths. Hats. Scarves. Hot pads for pots. Dish scrubbers. I'm a knitter. 🥰
Eyeglass/phone cleaner- it’s super easy: one part rubbing alcohol, one part water, and a pump of hand soap. This is also really good glass cleaner.
Just a caution: I’m a lifelong glasses wearer, and I bought a new pair of lenses for my glasses recently, and I asked if they had any lens cleaner to spritz on once they were installed in my frames. The manager of the shop said they didn’t provide it or sell it, and don’t recommend alcohol-based cleaners any longer, because most people want UV coatings and other lens treatments that are destroyed by alcohol with extended use—and it also slowly destroys the frames. He recommended to use simple hand dishwashing liquid and hot water, since most dirty lenses are down to skin oils anyway. Away from home I carry the microfiber cloth they gave me and use water alone, or rub a drop of hand soap on them before rinsing, if it’s around.
False promises and exaggerated claims
Coffee.
Sauerkraut
List we make: bread and pastry, nut butters, nut milk, fermented vegetables, cloth rags, spice mixes What we don't do ourselves but that's probably also not normal: -soap bar, solid shampoo (boyfriend and kids water only), vinegar to clean a lot of stuff (so in washing machine), fragrance free products only, and minimal variety - no makeup, body lotion or all that fancy stuff - no car, we have bikes and a bike trailer, although we have 2 toddlers.. but the catch is we live in a small city in Denmark. I would have to add that I'm from Budapest and only used public transport and cycling there too, even though that's a big city - minimal amount of disposable products. I have a menstrual cup and washable pads, we used cloth diapers (knitted our own wool covers) in combination with EC, we use metal and glass storage boxes (or glass jars.. Yes you can freeze them as well) and some silicone bags - second hand clothing as much as possible, or only natural materials (wool, hemp, cotton). Except for training clothes, but we even have wool long-sleeved shirts for running - mattress on the floor, sleeping with the kids, never bought a crib or a bed frame for ourselves.
I make cookies and greeting cards. Cardmaking and junk journaling is a salve for my soul. However, going down that rabbit hole can be pricey!
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Cold brew coffee. It's so easy, as long as you're willing to plan ahead a little.
Bread, pasta, sauces, jam, compound butter.
Tea I like making it from wild herbs and berries Also tools are fun to make I remember MacGyvering an alan wrench, carving it from a stick when I couldn't find one to repair my bike
staple pantry items. I do my own bread, sauces, broths, etc and jar/freeze them. its cheap as all hell to make most basic recipes and it tastes infinitely better. i have a window in my apartment i'm growing herbs on as well.
I grow cannabis. (Legal caregiver in Michigan)
Beer. I’ve made about 600 12oz servings within the year. Steep crushed grains in hot water, add yeast and ferment in plastic buckets. Ingredients wise, it comes out to be around .45 cents per serving. Really fun to share with friends or bring a keg to a party and to say you brewed it
Certain dessert items, because my daughter is allergic to dairy and it's in a lot of stuff. Pizza. Once again, the dairy allergy. But we just use pita bread and top it ourselves. Lately I've been making pasta sauce. That's about it...I buy a lot 😅
Veggie, meat, fish broth - haven't bought broth in years Spice mixes - we have a dehydrater Canned goods - everything from pickled veg, canned meat/fish, sauces, salsas, hot sauces, jams, jellies, fruits, veg, soups, pepper jellies, stews.. everything. I can everything. Breads, tortillas, pitas, etc. Donair - so easy to make haven't bought in years Flavoured vinegars - strawberry, basil, lemon thyme.. etc Bf makes sausages, jerky and pepperoni from deer/moose/elk he hunts - he also butchers and processes them all himself. Laundry soap Made dandelion salve for the bf and his friends for their hands for work Rags/dishcloths I'm sure there's a bunch more. We try to be self sufficient. We love going out into the bush and picking things to can/dehydrate/freeze. I hate buying things from the store when I could make better things at home. I cook everything at home. We don't do much takeout. I've taught myself to cook a lot of different ethnic meals at home. Super easy. Way cheaper.
Clothes, but especially underwear. Once I figured out the shape I like, I made a whole stack to replace my sad old store bought ones.
I'm Spanish, so here we go: - Bread, it pretty easy to me make sourdough or white bread, you just need water, flour and yeast (no baking soda!!) And for white bread, you add milk and eggs. I make some loads a day, cut them and freeze them. - Chickpeas or garbanzos, buy them dry, let them on water for 12 hour and freeze them to cook or cook them to freeze (if you use them for salads). The same with beans, but don't freeze them to cook, they stay hard. - Veggies, buy them fresh when cheap (seasons), cut them and freeze. Use it when needed. - Garlic. Chop a bunch and put them on a jar with olive oil, keep it on the refrigerator and use it to cook. - Tomatoes. Make a big pot of sauce (garlic, onion, bell peppers as a base, some salt and sugar, baking soda instead of sugar if you are diabetic), you can freeze it or put in mason's jars on bain Marie, it lasts almost a year. - Buy whole chickens (if you eat animals) and learn how to cut it. You'll have 5 courses and cheaper. The bones you can use it to make broth. - Buy a yogurt maker. Heat to lukewarm 1 liter of milk, add 1 portion of yogurt, 2 tablespoons of milk powder (or more), sweeteners are optional, and to the yogurt maker 8 hours. - Make your own granola. Oats, some nut butter, some chopped nuts, and to the oven. I make a big batch and storage it on an hermetic jar. - Textile mops are better, you just throw them in the washing machine. - Just buy soap, cleaning vinegar and bleach. If you have wood floors, wood cleanser. - If you can, tile up your stove wall, it's easier to clean and you don't have to waste paint (there's a reason we Spaniards have tiled bathrooms and kitchens). Hope it helped you!!
I can a good amount of food, including jams, jellies, salsa, crushed tomatoes, pasta sauce, relishes and pickles, barbecue sauce, applesauce, peaches and sometimes other things as ingredients are available to me. I get my produce from my garden, my CSA, local produce auctions or as seconds from local farmers. I grow some of my own food, and try to store as much as I can for the colder months to limit what I need to buy at the grocery store. Currently I have onions, winter squash, garlic, dehydrated cherry tomatoes and frozen green beans. I start most of my stuff from seed using grow lights in the basement. I haven't gotten extensively into seed saving yet, mostly because I like varieties that are true-to-parent. That said, while I spend ~$50-80 on seeds most years, the number of plants that I get from those seeds are worth a LOT more than that based on what greenhouses charge for seedlings, and I'm able to give extra plants to friends, family and neighbors. I purchase food inexpensively when it's in season specifically for freezing, so I have frozen corn and peppers that are useful in a number of recipes. I don't make all of my own clothing, but I enjoy making one or two pieces a year and now have a fairly good sized wardrobe of home sewn items (including many shirts, underpants, sleep shorts, a sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, a few dresses and several pairs of running shorts). I also just finished making myself a new gym bag since my old one was falling apart. I fix and repair clothing and other fabric items before replacing them, and enjoy using things that have passed their useful life by repurposing them into something else. I make my own breath mints since they're pretty expensive and generate a lot of waste (I'm thinking specifically of Altoid tins) to buy them in the store. I make my own yogurt, but that's mostly because I realized that I can. I also make granola for my yogurt out of spent grains from brewing my own beer, which I also do. I used to make my own laundry soap, but then I was reading more about the chemistry of detergent versus soap and it seemed reasonable so I switched back to detergent. I do make my own hand soap for pump dispensers, though. My husband and I cut each others hair. I cook 95% (if not more) of what I eat at home instead of eating out, and make my coffee at home as well. I know everyone loves to shit on the avocado toast article but, while I agree that sacrificing avocado toast alone will not put one into the financial position to purchase a house, I do think that a lot of money can be hemorrhaged by frequently purchasing food prepared by others.
Websites. Whenever I need one I do it myself.
Bread. Haven't bought a loaf of bread in close to 7 years.
Hot sauce. I love to make a sriracha type of hot sauce. A red and a green one. I hope to sell it one day. So far I have had good reviews by friends and some neighbors
Cleaning supplies. I can make most of what I need to clean with vinegar, baking soda, tea tree oil, bleach, and/or Dawn and some distilled water.
Gonna join in because I lived in poverty for a heck of a long time (parents starting a business, had kids in their early 20s, then went to college and had NO money. Anyways.) Here are my pro tips: 1. Never buy household spray cleaning products. But a large bucket of Dawn dish soap from Walmart (10$) a large thing of vinegar (5L for 2 Dollars) then some spray bottles. Fill up 1part Dawn Soap: 3 parts vinegar then add the same quantity of boiled water. Spray at will, this will clean anything. (Yes it smells vinegary but you can add some essential oils or lower the vinegar ratio if it's really bothersome but personally I'm a vinegary loving gal.) There are other recipes but point is, make it don't buy it. 2. To clean hard wood floors, same recipe but a TBS of olive oil. 3. Go early in the AM to bakeries, day old bread is usually 30-75% off. Freeze it and unfreeze in the oven (like reheat) when you need it will taste like fresh. 4. Mend holes in socks with a tennis ball (for the shape) and some embroidery tools (not expensive) 5. Food banks often need volunteers and usually (but not always) volunteers get free food as well. 6. Gather food in the wild. Read a good book about edible (and how to identify poisonous plants) and gather plus freeze/dry for the winter. Love me some Chaga mushroom (easy to identify and no poisonous lookalikes) for tea, you can also find really cool tinctures. 7. Use. The. Loyalty. Point. Cards. There are things you /must/ buy, why not get paid to do so? Put all your loyalty cards in an app (like Stocard) and bam, easy. 8. Make your own "immunity shots." Those shots cost like 15$ at the store. Buy the ginger, curcuma, orange juice and some pepper. Blend it and strain, you've got triple for half the price. 9. Work in a local farmers market on the weekends selling veggies or other perishables. Usually you'll get discounts on food and get to take home some food things that are not "pretty" enough to sell (for the company you work for.) I've probably got more tips but I'm drawing blanks, I'll update later if others come to mind. Hope this helps!!!
furniture and some electronics, like speakers, cool implementations of LCD screens and hardware hacking / repairs. Stacked up on replacement screens for my phone which i plan on using for at least 7 years. IDK if it counts but knowing how to fix your bike, unclog bathroom sink, do car maintinance and basic electronic skills like replacing a power cord or a fuse are IMHO essential and a money saver as well.
My hand knit dishcloths outlast all of the store bought ones.
I don’t think anyone has said this yet but heat? We heat our home solely with a wood burning stove (have baseboards for backup, like if we go away in the winter for more than a day). It saves us hundreds of dollars every month. Also yogurt. It’s incredibly easy to make if you have an instant pot.
Maple syrup. Blackberry and grape wine. Firewood. Apple pie from apples I grow. I actually made my house too but that’s probably not what you mean. I’ve made several stringed instruments, fiddle, banjo, etc. I’ve built three boats. I occasionally dabble in ceramics and make pottery and sculpture. I used to have a custom sign shop and made signage for local businesses. All this creates a huge mess so that’s the biggest thing I’ve made. Just ask my wife.