How We Save Money On The Homestead (VIDEO COLLABORATION)
Bring up Money in a conversation, and you're sure to get a mixed bag of responses. Anything from embarrassment about debt, defensiveness about size of salary, pride about earnings, anxiety about bills...you name it, someone has felt it. On our homestead, we have chosen to see money as a tool, the same as a saw, a mixing bowl, a length of rope. It has a use and a place, but we have decided that it is neither the focus or goal...it's just a resource that we need to use as wisely as our water.
We're certainly not cavalier about it, though! We make it a point to live frugally, but it's really a source of joy for us. We enjoy the "game" of seeing how we can save every month. Recently, Rain Country Homestead ( @raincountry ) asked us to join them on a collaboration to share how we save money on our homestead, and we were happy to oblige! Below, you'll find our video of money saving tips and ideas. Click here-->https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzVtTPDzFPKGw8hlJf-Ei5FKpcsEacHmR for the rest of the playlist of the other homesteads who are participating.
We'd love to hear ideas from you, too! You don't have to be a homesteader to have fabulous tips on how to live simply and frugally. What have you tried, and what works for you?
Other places to find Simple Life Homestead Online!
Blog: http://www.simplelifehomestead.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwDzB6sjt8sZfB9hVUojxrQ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimpleLifeHomestead/
Twitter: @SLHomestead
That's a great video with some good solid ideas. My husband is also the comparison shopper here and I'm often astonished at how carefully he researches and saves money on something I probably would've just run off and bought after just some superficial research.
He's also converted me to thrift store shopping and one thing I've noticed is how much more relaxed I feel about keeping up with clothes for everyone because I know I can find beautiful clothes for our girls for a tiny fraction of what we would spend buying new and if my clothes wear out I'm not concerned because I know I can find a whole new wardrobe for $35 instead of $335.
And I have to say...the food storage is beautifully organized. I hope our pantry looks like yours when it grows up!
@lturner, what a kind, thoughtful comment! Thanks for reading. With my husband's help, I am so much more organized, thoughful, and resourceful with our resources...I don't know what I'd do without him!
And I can't believe how many people are still duped by the fashion-control-scheme. I used to be one of them, worried about how I looked and if what I was wearing was "good" enough. I am so glad to be free of it! My boy has lived in 90% thrift store clothes his entire life, and they're nicer clothes than what I could have afforded at our local stores.
You're welcome! I really enjoyed your video.
I'm the organized one in our family, but my husband is definitely more thrifty and better with managing our resources. I'm the one who goes through the closet and says, "We have to throw these shoes out - there just isn't any way to glue these together anymore!"
Aside from gifts by friends and relatives, our kids have lived in mostly thrift store clothes as well and I'm always amazed at some of the beautiful things they are able to have that we otherwise would never purchase because it would be so ridiculously expensive. The only downside I've found is that I can't just get matching outfits for pictures, but I found a solution: the "sailor dress" outfit is a popular classic style that a lot of different manufacturers produce, so whenever I find a sailor dress I get it. I've got an interesting assortment in different sizes now so the girls look like they're matching even if the dresses aren't identical. It's kind of fun too, like a treasure hunt within a treasure hunt.
I was never much of a fashion model myself, but I was always concerned about my clothes wearing out or getting stains on them, etc., because it just cost so much to replace them!
Awesome video! Really enjoyed seeing and hearing the methods of saving money. Resteemed, more people need to see this! @ironshield
@ironshield, I really appreciate your comment, haha! We do hope our perspective on money can help folks out there who are willing to look past the "YOU NEED MORE NOW" mentality that is so prevalent.
It's amazing how many people don't do these things! My husband was talking to a coworker once who was blown away by how little we actually live on once all the bills are paid. You don't need much when you budget, meal plan and spend the extra wisely
Right?? It's amazing to me how easily money slipped through my fingers when I was in my first years of college, before I learned a lot of this. I feel like many haven't grown out of that mentality.
We did calculations before we bought/moved to the homestead to figure out how much we "need" every month, and it really isn't a lot. And this is with still buying a lot of organic food! I think you and your husband have a lot of wisdom to be able to see this.
Hey there! I just wanted to inform you that this article has been featured in the most recent Weekly Homesteading Newsletter! Please check it out if you are interested! Thank you and have a great Sunday!
Oh thanks, @kiaraantonoviche! It's always an honor to get to be part of your excellent newsletter. I'll be checking it out immediately!
Thanks for sharing these great ideas on saving money on the homestead. You are right on when you say you need to be content with what you have. Money and things don't buy happiness...
Thanks so much for reading and watching! I hear so many messages out there saying exactly the opposite, "YOU NEED MORE AND BETTER AND UPDATED AND blahblahblah." I want to teach my kids better than that--and hope that they'd have a much more fulfilled life because of it.
I feel the exact opposite. Some things are 100 times better old. They last longer and work better plain and simple. Cast Iron cookware is a great example but so are old cars.
So true. I can't believe how many iPhone versions there are--sometimes, not even a year after the last "updated" version.
Andrew and I purposely go to antique stores to find our tools for this very reason--the steel is far superior!
I surprised people still fall for the iphone gimick
@originalworks
Thanks, @ironshield!
The @OriginalWorks bot has determined this post by @slhomestead to be original material and upvoted(2%) it!
To call @OriginalWorks, simply reply to any post with @originalworks or !originalworks in your message!
"The game" "a tool". Great post sir. Resteemed
I appreciate you reading! I hope our perspective on money can help someone out there. Thanks!
This post has received a 1.15 % upvote from @buildawhale thanks to: @ironshield. Send at least 1 SBD to @buildawhale with a post link in the memo field for a portion of the next vote.
To support our daily curation initiative, please vote on my owner, @themarkymark, as a Steem Witness
Your post had been curated by the @buildawhale team and mentioned here:
https://steemit.com/buildawhale/@buildawhale/buildawhale-curation-digest-11-03-17
You have received a Whaleshare Token upvote (@officialfuzzy) thanks to @akrid.
Keep up the good work and original content, everyone appreciates it!
Hey,
If you need trending topics,
then please follow me.
Hey, if you would like to make a relevant comment after actually reading the article, I might be interested. Please don't spam folks like this.
Flagged for spam and not even upvoting the post you invaded. Rude and greedy don't cut it on Steemit.
Thanks, @aunt-deb. Sent a report to Steemcleaners already. It seems like parasitic posters like this are creeping out of the woodwork!
Oh good! These gremlins are annoying and every now and then I feel a need to swat a few. This one was begging for it. ;~D
Haha, I imagine you with a giant Internet fly-swatter, and it's somewhat glorious an image.
;~D