I really want to decrease the amount of money we spend each month at Wal Mart. It seems like with each child we have our weekly spending goes up about $30-$50. Is this normal? I know to an extent it has to be. Adding more diapers and then formula is not cheap. I wish I could have nursed my babies but it just didn't work out for several reasons so I've accepted that but I still hate how much formula costs. We even buy the Wal Mart brand which is a lot cheaper! Thankfully my baby won't be on formula too much longer as we enter the homestretch to her first birthday! I'll be sad to not have a baby any longer though!
So here are some of the things I will try this year to decrease our monthly spending:
1. I am going to try to do more shopping at Aldi. They really are so much cheaper on many things. You still have to cost compare sometimes to make sure you're getting the deals but overall it's cheaper. I used to shop there when I just had one baby but Wal Mart can be so convenient with it's one-stop shopping. So now I will attempt to take three kids shopping and hit both WM and Aldi.
2. I really want to expand our garden this year. We've had a garden every year since we've been married. My husband does most of the actual gardening (I try to pitch in and weed but really he's outside all the time and does a lot) I do all of the freezing and canning. Last year we grew tomatoes, carrots, green beans, potatoes and radishes. This year I want to increase the amount of some of those and add some other things. I think we will grow butternut squash (you can add this to homemade spaghetti sauce. It will thicken it and add a richness too it and no one knows!) Pumpkins (I've been making pumpkin pancakes more so this will help.) Onions, I'd like to get a food dehydrator to keep these all year to use. I also would like to grow the traditional Italian herbs to add to my sauces. I would dehydrate those too to last. I need to think more about anything else to add but I'm excited to get started this spring!
3. I am also going to try making our own laundry soap. My sister posted a recipe for this on her website that includes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, Borax and Zote soap. You can check it out at my sister's blog http://fitnessfriendsfood.blogspot.com/2009/02/financial-fitness-make-your-own-laundry.html. I just can't find the soap or washing soda. I actually was looking for a different kind of soap so I'll have to look for the Zote. Sorry about no link, I can't get it to work????
4. I already do almost 100% of our cooking from scratch but I am going to make more of an effort in the bread department. I've made homemade bread several times but I haven't perfected it yet. I also would like to make rolls to keep in the freezer that we can grab for burgers.
I've looked into cloth diapers when I was pregnant but I'm not sure the time is worth the savings? Is there a big savings? Let me know what you think and maybe I'll try it.
Well, that seems to have worked my brain enough for now so I will try to get our menu planned for the week now and spend some time with my kids!
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Patty,
ReplyDeleteHaving used both cloth diapers and disposables, I do think the cloth are the winner for saving money. Most of my friends at church who have babies use cloth diapers, and most of them are using a new type of diaper, a "pocket diaper," called "Bum Genius." I was surprised to learn that, according to one of those friends, in addition to being able to purchase these diapers both new and used on the Internet, that Target sells them locally. I may start buying one at a time, since there is no shipping if Target really does stock them. Google "Bum Genius" if you are interested in the details. They look really nice, and seem extremely well-designed to avoid the pitfalls that go with many other diaper designs. All the diapers my friends have shown me clean up really well, and look like new, with no stains. Also, you may want to read reviews about how the different colors hold up after repeated use and washing. Some seem to do better than others.
Regarding formula, one of my favorite healthy cookbooks, "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon, has a baby formula recipe that uses raw milk and other healthy ingredients. Have you ever considered adding a family milk goat to your livestock? It would increase the nourishment of the formula, while decreasing the cost, if the goat was mostly eating the weeds & grass around your farm.
Oh, about the laundry detergent recipe. You don't have to use the soap if you don't want to. Also, though I have not tried this, you don't have to use *laundry* soap, you might try another kind of bar soap that you already have on hand if you would like. Some folks who are more committed to using more organic ingredients use bar soaps from the health-food-store in their detergent. Others choose a soap that has a scent they like, and skip adding drops of essential oils. Or you could go super-frugal, and save the fat from cooking meat, get some lye, and make your own bar soap! (Dick told me about that. As you probably know, he used to work at Dial Corp., and is a wealth of knowlede on soaps and detergents.)
ReplyDeletePatty, Your post reminded me of an excellent e-book I found online about five years ago. I felt torn about spending money to learn how to save money, though it is really not very expensive. Turns out that it gave a me a lot of very practical, do-able ideas for cutting grocery spending. I have saved a lot of money as a result of buying it.
ReplyDeleteSomething called a "price book" is at the heart of the method, and it is extremely effective. When I re-skimmed the e-book yesterday, I realized it was this e-book that originally gave me my laundry detergent recipe. If you use the link listed in your blog post above in point #3, you will see my link in green type early in the text of my post.
I am also trying to watch how much I spend at WM. It seems like I spend a lot of money and have very few bags to show for it.
ReplyDelete