Hello lovelies! If you follow me on all the socials, you know I owe you a quick how-to on this:
But, I haven’t written it yet. I apologize.
I did want to let you know, though, that I added some new planners/journals to my shop. There’s a Meal Planner, a Reading Journal, and a Fitness Journal now, as well as a set of Literary Terms posters for my teacher friends. I may get some more added tomorrow, if the kiddos don’t keep me too busy to work on them tonight. They are all in PDF format, so you can either print the pages you want or use them with a digitally with something like Goodnotes.
Now for the SALE part: ALL digital products that are normally $5 are on sale for $0.99. That’s all the planners, journals, and all of my machine embroidery designs. I have also made a few more of my older embroidery designs FREEBIES!
Please, check them out. If they’re not for you, but you know someone who would like them, please share.
This sale only lasts through August 22, so don’t miss out!
In today’s economy, saving money at home isn’t just a smart move—it’s essential. Whether you’re looking to build an emergency fund, reduce debt, or simply need more funds for food or rent, mastering the art of frugality can make a significant difference. Here, we’ll explore ten easy ways to cut costs and boost your savings without sacrificing comfort or quality of life.
1. Embrace Meal Planning
Meal planning is a simple yet effective way to streamline your grocery shopping and reduce food waste and unnecessary purchases. By planning your meals for the week, you can avoid impulse purchases and ensure you’re using ingredients efficiently.
How to get started:
Set aside time each week to plan meals.
Create a shopping list based on your plan and stick to it.
Incorporate leftovers into your meal plan to maximize usage.
If you need a little help, I have a Meal Planner in my shop. It’s in PDF format, so you’ll get it instantly, and you can either print the pages you need or use them digitally. It’s on sale for a limited time for only $0.99, so get it now.
2. DIY Home Maintenance
Handling minor home repairs and maintenance yourself can save you a ton of money. You can find tutorials for just about anything online for free. I usually watch or read a few before starting to really know what I’m getting into, and different people have different tips and tricks.
How to get started:
Start with simple tasks like fixing leaky faucets or painting walls.
Use online tutorials and guides to learn new skills.
Invest in a basic toolkit for home repairs. For bigger tools, see if there’s a place to rent them or if a friend has one you can borrow until you know it’s worth purchasing.
With streaming services for everything, cutting the cord on traditional cable can lead to big savings on your monthly entertainment bill. It’s easy to subscribe to so many that you end up not using them often enough to justify the cost.
How to get started:
Evaluate your current cable and/or streaming usage and identify unnecessary channels.
See what streaming services you’ll realistically use this month. You can always pause or cancel and resubscribe in a month or two to lesser used ones. I try to only have one or two active subscriptions at a time.
Don’t forget about free streaming channels, YouTube and antenna TV as well.
Look for bundles that offer internet and streaming services together.
4. Optimize Energy Efficiency
Improving your home’s energy efficiency can greatly reduce utility bills and contribute to environmental sustainability.
How to get started:
Replace incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs.
Seal drafts around windows and doors.
Use a programmable thermostat to optimize heating and cooling.
Unplug or turn off things when not in use.
Take advantage of sunlight and nice outside temperatures by opening windows and turning off the AC.
Dress efficiently for the temps. Add or subtract layers before reaching for the thermostat.
5. Practice Mindful Consumption
Being mindful about what you buy and consume leads to smarter financial decisions and reduces clutter in your home. (Bonus: Less clutter means less to clean!)
How to get started:
Ask yourself if a purchase is a need or a want before buying. It’s okay to splurge on a “want”, but it’s important to know the difference with mindful spending.
Declutter regularly to understand what items are truly worth it. If you didn’t use something similar the first time, you probably don’t need it.
Practice gratitude for what you have, reducing the urge to buy more.
Be creative! Do you already own something that could work instead? Can you easily make it?
6. Grow Your Own Food
Starting a small garden can provide fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables while reducing grocery expenses.
How to get started:
Start with easy-to-grow vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs.
Use vertical space or try container gardening if space is limited. (Container gardens are a good way to reuse plastic containers, too!)
Learn about composting to enrich your garden’s soil.
Green bell peppers
7. Make Use of Public Libraries
I love the library! Public libraries offer a wealth of free resources, from books, ebooks and movies to workshops and events. One of my local libraries now offers kits for things like baking, exercise, self-care and gardening that you can check out. I’ve even heard of libraries offering seed-sharing catalogs.
How to get started:
Sign up for a library card and explore the available resources. If you’re in a metro area, there’s a good chance you have access to more than one library.
Make friends with your librarians. They’ll let you know about new books and resources that are of interest to you.
Check out digital offerings, such as e-books and audiobooks.
Attend free workshops and community events.
8. Embrace Second-Hand Shopping
Everyone knows I love thrifting. There’s not much in my home that I bought new. Buying second-hand items can save money and keep things out of the landfill.
How to get started:
Explore thrift stores, consignment shops, and online marketplaces.
Look for quality items that are gently used or easy to mend or repurpose.
Attend garage sales for unique finds. Garage sales are usually cheaper than thrift stores but can take more hunting to find what you need.
Don’t forget about free second-hand shopping. Look for local buy nothing groups, “come and get it” postings, and good, usable stuff people are throwing away. One (wo)man’s trash is another (wo)man’s treasure, just make sure it was actually intended as trash, and familiarize yourself with local dumpster diving laws if you’re going that route.
9. Cancel Unused Subscriptions
Unused subscriptions can quietly drain your finances. Cancelling them can free up extra cash.
How to get started:
Check your bank statements for recurring charges.
Evaluate each subscription. Are you actually using it? Is there a free option that can fill it’s place?
Cancel those that are not used or necessary, or pause them if you know you’ll need them in a few months.
10. Implement a No-Spend Challenge
It’s easy to get into spending habits. A no-spend challenge involves refraining from non-essential purchases for a set period of time. This helps make it easier to identify non-essential and impulse purchases, saving you money during and after the no-spend challenge.
How to get started:
Choose a timeframe (week, month) and define what counts as non-essential.
Focus on using what you have and finding free activities.
Reflect on the challenge to identify spending triggers.
Brainstorm other ways to handle triggers and make do with what you have.
Conclusion
Adopting creative strategies to save money at home is not just about not spending—it’s about making mindful, intentional choices that lead to better financial health and sustainability. Not all of these tips will work for everyone, but implementing even a few can help with your financial burden. What other tips can you share? Please, comment down below.
Meal Planner PDF Printable or Digital Use
Stay organized and take the stress out of meal planning with our versatile PDF Meal Planner! Whether you prefer to jot down your ideas by hand or manage everything digitally, this meal planner is the perfect tool to keep your meals on track.
Features:
Printable Design: Print the planner to create a tangible guide for y…
Hi! There’s a free ebook today in my Freebooksy email that I thought might interest my readers. I haven’t read it yet, but I wanted to share before it’s no longer free. The title is Medicinal Herbs: The Essential Guide to Growing and Using Plants to Promote Healing and Physical Well-Being by Halle Malin. You can get it here: https://amzn.to/3RX2qBj (Note: If you use that link and then make a purchase, I will get a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you and helps me to maintain this blog. Thanks!)
Be sure to grab it ASAP. I’m not sure how long it will be free. If you read it, let me know what you think in the comments.
Growing up, I was Belle from the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. I always had at least one book with me at all times. Most of the time, I was actively reading one of them, regardless of what else I was doing. Surprisingly, I am no more clumsy with my nose in a book than I am fully paying attention to what I’m doing, which is to say, I’m always very clumsy.
Anyway, one of the things I love about technology is that I can bring a library’s worth of books with me everywhere in my pocket. Or purse, really, since women’s clothing doesn’t have real pockets. Don’t get me wrong. I still love my hold-in-your-hand print books with their special book smell and feel. Knowing that I will always have a book or hundred at hand to read anywhere, though, is the best for a nerd like me.
The other cool thing about ebooks is that it is easy to get a whole library for free or cheap. Here are a few of my favorite resources.
Libraries
Did you know that most libraries now have a collection of ebooks and magazines to check out. My local library uses OverDrive to check out ebooks. All you need is a library card. I usually choose Kindle format, since I have an ancient Paperwhite and I use the Kindle app on my phone.
If you’re looking for a specific book or new releases, this is your best bet. You may have to wait a bit because there’s a limited number of digital copies to check out, just like books in a library.
Yes, you can get free ebooks on Amazon. You’ll need a basic (free) Amazon account and the Kindle app, or you can read on a pc. The link above will take you to the Kindle ebook store where I’ve searched for free ebooks. That gives you about a bajillion results to weed through. You can narrow down your search to, something like, “free kindle classic books literature” or “free kindle Sherlock Holmes books” or “free kindle sewing books” and have fewer results to sort through.
If you happen to have a Prime account, there’s some ebook perks with Prime Reading and First Reads, so make sure you check those out, too.
Quick note: I am an Amazon Associate, so if you click on an Amazon link on my blog and then make a purchase on Amazon, I will receive a tiny commission. The price for you is the same either way, so if you are going to be shopping on Amazon anyway, I would appreciate it.
My Paperwhite ebook reader is this old. Photo by Caio on Pexels.com
Free Booksy
Free Booksy basically lets you know about free books in your chosen genres in a daily email. They’re books that are free for a limited time, so not the same things you would find in a free Amazon search. Most days there’s at least one book I want in the email. Right now, I tend to read more nonfiction, however if you like reading fiction series, Free Booksy often has the first in a new series for free, so it’s a great way to discover new authors. Sign up here. I’m not an affiliate, I just love the free books.
eBook Bundles
Occasionally you’ll find free or cheap ebook bundles online based on a theme, such as crafting or health and wellness. Ultimate Bundles is one site that offers them regularly. I’ve purchased bundles from them in the past that were very useful. Usually it’s something like $27 for hundreds of dollars worth of ebooks, courses, printables, etc. When I purchase one, I always make sure that there are at least three ebooks/resources included that I would purchase on their own, no question, AND they would cost me more than the total price of the bundle if purchased separately.
It doesn’t currently look like they’re promoting a bundle right now, but you can check out the website and see if what types of bundles they offer are of interest to you.
These are all resources I’ve personally used for free ebooks. I’m sure there’s plenty more out there. If you know of any, please share them in the comments. 🙂
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My mom gave me this blouse to play with because her puppy had ripped the bottom of it. I had already cut off the torn part and sewed the raw edge with a scalloped stitch to match the embroidery on the top. That made the shirt too cropped for my preference, so it stayed in my refashion pile.
In an attempt to eliminate said pile (who am I kidding, piles), I pulled it out, along with another black and white top with stretched out elastic and a black and white fabric remnant for good measure.
Shirt with stretched out elastic.Remnant
I decided to both lengthen it and add more room at the sides by inserting triangles of fabric. I hate wearing woven tops that are fitted, so I thought that might make it more wearable to me. Here is the end result:
FrontSideBack
I’m not sure that I’m happy with it. Looking at it now, I think I need to add something from the bottom fabric to the top to tie it all together. I may make two patch pockets and attach them at the bottom of the original shirt and overlap onto the new fabric. Maybe an applique on the back as well? Thoughts?
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I’ve listed two “new” vintage fabrics in the shop, but wondering if anyone can help with giving more information about them. I love second hand materials, but not having all the details is a bit frustrating. They are:
I’ve burn tested them, and they tend to burn quickly. The burned edge seems more melted than ashy, which leads me to believe they are a synthetic or a synthetic blend. Here’s a video of the beige burn test:
Burn testing some vintage fabric. I think this one is a synthetic or synthetic blend. I’m listing some of my fabric stash at http://s696056323.onlinehome.us #sewing#vintagefabric#fabricdestash
Many people eat gluten free (g-free, gf), either by choice or need. For those with celiac, eliminating gluten is an absolute necessity. Others find that, for one reason or another, they feel better when they avoid it. In my case, I kind of accidentally discovered that joint pain in my hands and feet go away and I’m less brain foggy when I avoid gluten. Other family members suffer from breakouts and rashes that flare whenever they eat something with gluten. I strongly believe that if you feel bad after eating something, you should probably stop eating it, so we do our best to avoid gluten all together.
Eliminating something that is such a big part of your diet is daunting at first, but there are a few things that can make the transition easier and less expensive. These tips focus on gluten, but many will also help if you need to eliminate other foods.
1. Start with real foods
Processed foods often have hidden fillers and ingredients, and specialty gluten free foods are expensive. In contrast, fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts, beans, eggs and dairy are naturally gluten free in their pure forms. Rice is a grain that does not contain gluten. Starting from scratch with real food ingredients that you know naturally don’t have gluten is often easier and definitely cheaper than scrutinizing food labels and buying special gluten free versions of normally wheat based foods.
For the most part, single herbs and spices are gluten free. Certain spice blends may have gluten, though. Making your own blends is the safest bet, but if you have a spice blend you love, most manufacturer websites list whether their products contain gluten.
While not technically an herb or spice, most soy sauce contains gluten. La Choy is a major brand that is made without gluten. Bragg’s liquid aminos are another form of g-free soy sauce.
Most vinegar is g-free. Malt vinegar is not. You’ll also want to check the label on flavored vinegar to be sure.
Cooking oils don’t have gluten unless seasoned with something containing gluten.
3. Find your current gluten free staples
Look at the foods that currently stock your pantry. What things that you buy are already gluten free? For us, we usually keep a box or two of cereal around for snacking or a quick breakfast. Most cereals are made with wheat and therefore have gluten, but some that we already bought, like Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms and Rice Chex are gluten free. Knowing that, I can continue to keep a box or two of cereal we already liked on hand.
Likewise, we keep tortilla chips on hand for snacking or nachos. Most tortilla chips don’t have gluten and inexpensive. Since gluten free crackers are both hard to find and usually expensive, tortilla chips are an easy cracker substitute as well.
4. Look for the easy substitute
Like substituting tortilla chips for crackers, there are other easy swaps. Corn tortillas usually don’t have gluten and can be substituted for flour tortillas. Rice is often a good substitute for pasta, or substitute rice noodles. If you have an Asian grocery nearby, you can usually find rice noodles there for cheaper than a mainstream supermarket, as well as leafy greens and spices for cheap.
5. Make it yourself
It’s fairly easy to find gluten-free flour now, so making your own gluten free cookies, pizza crusts, pancakes, breads, etc. is a good option. I love Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour. With it, I can continue to make my favorite deserts just by substituting it for wheat flour. There are other good gluten free flours on the market, too. The most important thing is to know if it is blended to be an exact 1 to 1 substitute or if you need to add something like xanthan gum to give it the stretchiness and rise that you usually get from gluten. For example, Bob’s Red Mill has an All Purpose Gluten Free Flour that is not the 1 to 1 blend. It is a little denser and does not have xanthan gum already blended. I like blending it with tapioca flour, which adds some stretchiness. That works well for things like gluten free flour tortillas. For things that need to rise, though, like cakes or breads, I also add xanthan gum if I’m using the all purpose and not the 1 to 1 blend.
6. When buying gluten free, shop around
Sometimes you really just want to get some gluten free penne pasta or a g-free bagel. More and more grocery stores regularly stock g-free pastas, breads and desserts, but they can be pricey. If you find them on sale, stock up and freeze the extras. Alternative grocery stores sometimes offer better prices, too. Aldi has a decent selection of g-free breads, pastas, and baking mixes at a lower price than most other stores. I even found some gluten free donuts there recently.
Locally, we have a surplus/discount/closeout grocery store called Town Talk. They frequently have udi’s bread in the range of two loaves for $3.00. I periodically stop in and stock up when I can.
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