How frugal can I get without becoming some crazy homesteader?
I'm on a frugal kick at the moment, I blame Pinterest. So far I've quit using shampoo and made my own dish soap. I'll be making my own laundry soap soon, as soon as I can find the Borax. I stopped buying cleaning chemicals ages ago, switching to plain old vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, and elbow grease. The dish soap works well, the hardest part is getting used to it not sudsing up.
How much will I actually save over a year? Maybe $30 or $40, but still, that's pretty good. Add in making my own bread and cutting back on mixes and prepared foods, using thrift stores and being pretty frugal anyways I'm hoping to shave at least $200 off our expenses.
I've already managed to get our food shopping down to one big run a month with just a couple of quick trips (usually for milk) otherwise. Our grocery bill is about $150-$200 for the two of us a month.
A secondary goal is to reduce our trash output. I'm planning on composting; I just need to clear a corner of the yard for the bin. I'm going to cheat and buy a compost bin only because we're in a condo so I want something that looks nicer and is movable if need be. I also want to set up a rain barrel or two. Maybe try a container vegetable garden next spring.
How much will I actually save over a year? Maybe $30 or $40, but still, that's pretty good. Add in making my own bread and cutting back on mixes and prepared foods, using thrift stores and being pretty frugal anyways I'm hoping to shave at least $200 off our expenses.
I've already managed to get our food shopping down to one big run a month with just a couple of quick trips (usually for milk) otherwise. Our grocery bill is about $150-$200 for the two of us a month.
A secondary goal is to reduce our trash output. I'm planning on composting; I just need to clear a corner of the yard for the bin. I'm going to cheat and buy a compost bin only because we're in a condo so I want something that looks nicer and is movable if need be. I also want to set up a rain barrel or two. Maybe try a container vegetable garden next spring.