Saving Money on the Homestead

olive bin turned rain barrel

Being homesteaders,
we naturally lean toward frugality.
It's not a four-letter word.
In fact, there's a bit of pride involved
when we are able to go for days and days
without spending a dime.
But it's more than that.
It's the fact that by not succumbing to the commercialism
that runs rampant in our world today,
we are expressing the gratitude for that with which we have been blessed.

There are so many ways to save money
without feeling deprived in any way.
There are folks who feel the need to shop til they drop.
In fact, I remember a former friend telling me,
"I need to buy something E-V-E-R-Y D-A-Y."
Huh?  It didn't make any sense to me.
Maybe it's just the way I was raised, or the part of me
that always seems to go against the grain,
but the less I find myself in stores, the better I like it.
After all, there are so many other more rewarding things to do
with the allotted time we have here on Earth.

We are fortunate to be debt-free.
We've never had a mortgage
because we chose to pay for our homes with cash.
Although I really wanted longed for acreage when we moved to NC,
I wasn't willing to go into debt for it.
And that's what we would have had to do.
By not taking on a mortgage,
both of us are able to work part-time,
instead of struggling with the 9 to 5 daily grind.
We are blessed, we know that.
And we try to show our gratitude in everyday moments,
like making good use of the cash flow we do have.

In any case, if you find yourself wondering how you can save money,
these simple ideas have worked well for us.

1.  Pass up unnecessary services~
By taking our trash and recycling to the dump ourselves,
we save about $300 a year.
We decided when our trash service stopped accepting recyclables,
it just didn't make sense to pay for trash pick-up,
and still have to take our recyclables to the dump
(there was no way I was giving up recycling).
The other reason is that we pay a standard yearly fee
for the privilege of using the dump,
so it was like we were paying twice.
We are young(ish) and healthy enough to do this ourselves,
so why not?
We have scaled down to one kitchen-sized trash bag per week,
so it's really no big deal to haul our disposables ourselves.
(We are still working on ways to do better 
with buying things with less packaging.)

minnow basket turned porch light

2.  Find new uses for what you already have~
We repurpose as much as we can,
turning everyday items into useful or fun things.
Check out the canning ring wind chime recently created here.
Our porch light used to be a minnow basket,
our desk was simply some weathered old planks,
and this sign that adorns our fireplace wall
are all handmade things we love.
The best part of this decor is that they are uniquely US.

3.  Find folks who enjoy your hobbies and share~
As a gardener,
there are innumerable opportunities to share the bounty of the garden.
Whether it's seeds, veggies or ornamental plants, the joy in sharing
with others does one's heart good.  Plant or seed swaps are a great
way to save money as well as gather new varieties to try.
Most gardeners I know are extremely generous people.
I'm sure that's most likely true of folks who share other hobbies.

As a vegetable gardener, the lesson in frugality has been
planting from seed instead of buying transplants.
Not only does this save money, but there is more control over how the plants are grown.
Using organic practices is important to me,
and that means from the soil I use to the seeds I sow.
The sheer joy when seeds actually sprout before your very eyes
again emphasizes the feeling of gratitude in an everyday activity. 
 It may cost a bit more to grow organically,
but good health is priceless.

 

 4.  Whenever possible, buy used~ 
Although I'm not a shopper,
yard sales and thrift stores do get my blood going.
Especially items with a history are appealing,
because I always wonder about their past life with the previous owner.
For the most part, vintage items last longer,
because they were made better to start with and will stand the test of time.
 New clothes are rarely bought these days,
because I can go to a thrift store and pay $3 for a long-sleeved (like new) shirt.
New-to-us deck furniture cost me $30 for a table and 4 chairs
at a yard sale.
You just can't beat that price at the stores!



5.  Be willing to research and make changes~
We changed our home owners' insurance carrier,
after being with the same company for over 40 years!
This was a shocker for me.
My family had always had the same insurance provider for home and vehicles,
and so when I started out on my own, I stayed with them.
After Big K and I got married, we continued with them,
until we got tired of the rates going up each and every year,
even though we never filed claims.
We called around to several large insurance companies
and found one that saves us about $500 a year.
So far, they haven't raised our rates.
In fact, our home owners' insurance actually went down this year.

6.  Look into other sources for help with expenses~
We found out that we could get a supplement provided by my retirement pension for our dental and vision insurance.  
The pension I receive for being employed by the school system in Florida is small,
but this benefit alone, pays for our yearly dental and vision insurance.
At this point, we pay nothing for any of our health-related insurance,
and that means there is extra money in the bank for emergencies or savings.
Again, what a blessing to learn about these benefits.

homemade food is best

I hope some or all of these ideas inspire you to think a bit differently
about using what you have to improve the quality of your life.
There are so many little changes 
that can make a big difference.