Here are my basics:
- Hydroponics: lettuce, basil, strawberries, microgreens. Cost to implement well ~ $350CDN
- Yoghurt: Cost to implement well ~ $50
- Crochet + yarn: mainly for making dishcloths. $5
- Mayo: I like mayo, obviously, but it doesn’t last very long. Has anyone made mayo that lasts as long as store bought?
More advanced ideas?
- locally sourced meat and eggs: is this cheaper? I’m in Vancouver BC and there are a lot of farms in the valley. Logistics seems challenging.
- jarring: is it worth learning how to do this and investing in the equipment? volunteering at a farm: I’m sure this would net some food
- solar power or bike generator: electricity is cheap here
- minimalism: I’m realizing this is a lifestyle. It has taken me a while to reduce, and I’m still reducing. Are most of you like this?
And things that can save money, but I don’t want to do:
- Bread: I don’t like making bread. Bread machine vs. buying a mixer?
- Beer: I’d like to but last time I tried it was messy and space consuming
- switch to cotton socks and underwear. Quantity over quality.
- no alcohol or drugs: What’s your experience?
- meal prep: savings seem big if combined with jarring. But if I had food prepped I’ll eat it, cheaper to skip meals?
Any other ideas welcome. I’m looking to save $$$ by spending $$
I enjoy canning (not sure if that’s what you meant by jarring), but I’m not convinced it’s that frugal. Especially beans. You can get a can of beans for 65 cents at aldi. Dry beans come out to about the same cost including jar and/or lid prices, not to mention the time and energy commitment. I do it anyway because I like to make things from scratch and canning them frees up freezer space.
I grow some of my own herbs. Basil and rosemary are the only ones I’ve been successful at keeping alive. The rosemary is in a pot outside, requires no care, and has paid for itself many times over. The basil is in a hydroponic planter in the kitchen and will take years to pay for itself, but the planter also makes for a nice lamp.
The only thing I’ve found cheaper at my farmers market is eggs. Vegetables are crazy expensive there. Not worth going just for eggs though. Meat is much more expensive, though I’m sure its vastly better quality. I only make 2 meals per week with meat.
There’s no sense reducing for it’s own sake. Avoiding the acquisition of new items can be good, but if you already own it, only get rid of it if its costing you more (in storage, upkeep, or mental energy) than its gaining you.
I dont do big meal prepping, but I try to always have enough to get one meal from leftovers (for the whole family). If we dont finish it, it goes in the freezer and makes a great backup for occasions when you cant cook or just need a quick meal.
We invested in a small chest freezer so we can fill up when meat goes on sale, I can bake bread and put extra loaves in the freezer, we can blanche and freeze excess vegetables, etc.
I darn my socks and sew up holes in underwear. Almost never eat out. Buy what I can secondhand. Turned off subscriptions I dont need, but kept the ones that add value to my life. Get all my books from the library via the libby app.