tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post8755591572267606642..comments2022-08-17T03:42:01.400-07:00Comments on Urban Homestead Diaries: How to Get Huge Savings With a Creative BudgetApril Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14284816070903462748noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post-64932008747986835332011-04-21T09:43:06.384-07:002011-04-21T09:43:06.384-07:00Mama Turtle - Excellent tips, thanks for sharing! ...Mama Turtle - Excellent tips, thanks for sharing! We're making our own bread and I want to start making pasta as well, bagels, etc. It's amazing how much you can cut grocery costs when you bake more!April Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14284816070903462748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post-34152632682319277162011-04-20T23:13:38.209-07:002011-04-20T23:13:38.209-07:00Homeschooling (vs public school's yearly unifo...Homeschooling (vs public school's yearly uniforms, transport cost [there is no school bus here], teachers who don't care, and false history propaganda. Can you tell we had a horrible experience?), Growing my own food, shopping sales @ the local natural market for what I can't grow, bringing my homemade shopping bags for a 5 cent credit each, planning menus from sale/in season items, canning fresh produce I've grown/bought on sale(I never buy tin-can food, it's expensive and full of BPA), cooking from scratch including the pasta and bread, making my own menstrual pads and pantyliners, making the laundry/dish/bath soap myself, shutting off the cable TV and just watching shows on netflix and hulu, sewing some of the clothes, and buying bulk dry goods whenever possible. If I had room for a clothesline I would use it rather than paying for the dryer. There are many little things that add up.Mama Turtlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15393357145745528816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post-22626513489759172892011-04-20T21:32:38.436-07:002011-04-20T21:32:38.436-07:00Melonie - I sure wish he could telecommute! He wo...Melonie - I sure wish he could telecommute! He works at a hospital as a supervisor and has a staff, so he needs to be on site to manage them. Great idea though for those who have that option.April Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14284816070903462748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post-70926032021690206802011-04-20T21:27:27.262-07:002011-04-20T21:27:27.262-07:00I'm a new reader, so this may not apply - but ...I'm a new reader, so this may not apply - but since you mentioned Ron riding the bus, would his employer be open to telecommuting or would that not be an option in his work? I spent several years working full-time from home for a magazine while homeschooling as a single mom and it worked very well for me. Someone once asked why I didn't just pay for daycare and get a "real" job - it would have cost me significantly more than I saved by being able to work in jeans & a T, not have to pay for childcare, and not have the gas/wear & tear on my truck.<br /><br />Definitely not an option for those in some fields, but perhaps something his employer would be willing to consider, depending on what he does? Even if he could swing telecommuting 2 days out of a 5 day work week you'd probably see some more savings (bus fare, etc).Meloniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218572127310877215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post-68429144299193100762011-04-20T20:47:51.666-07:002011-04-20T20:47:51.666-07:00@Thrifty Mama - Our public school is a really good...@Thrifty Mama - Our public school is a really good one, one of the top ones in the state, so we're doing the public school thing. :) We would save a lot on gas if we did home school, but our kids are so happy right now as it is. I've checked your blog out, great tips!<br /><br />City Sister - We're going to sell our eggs too once the chickens start laying, cannot wait!<br /><br />Dusti - My kids are out of diapers now, but we use wash cloths instead of towels. Never heard of the "family cloth", I'll have to check this one out. I use a Diva Cup, no more tampons, wohoo! <br /><br />Thanks for the support ladies!April Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14284816070903462748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post-17712791454588887402011-04-20T20:05:34.020-07:002011-04-20T20:05:34.020-07:00We cloth diaper! Saves in SO many ways- less cost,...We cloth diaper! Saves in SO many ways- less cost, less waste, less manufacturing, no running out for diapers, used for multiple children. We use cloth wipes, too- as well as un-paper towels and family cloth (no paper towels and no toilet paper!). After I have our third child this summer, I will be using mama cloth and forfeiting disposable feminine products, as well. <br /><br />The savings, money-wise, is just crazy when you choose to skip disposable "stuff!" :)<br /><br />We're rural, so not quite urban homesteaders, but we're going the homesteading route! <br /><br />www.wheresdusti.blogspot.com<br />^ there<br /><br />Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work!<br />DustiDustihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08348673503110151709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post-57291740716451971322011-04-20T19:18:54.602-07:002011-04-20T19:18:54.602-07:00I second the homeschool savings...We have public s...I second the homeschool savings...We have public school as an option (free lousy education) or private that would cost in the thousands...we teach two children for $400/year...we also make money with our chickens by selling their eggs, gardening saves grocery money, and buying bulk saves us a lot too! (plus our groceries are delivered to our door for free.)City Sisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11474047622089407153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post-75363800188734363282011-04-20T17:48:09.947-07:002011-04-20T17:48:09.947-07:00One thing we do that you didn't mention is hom...One thing we do that you didn't mention is homeschool. We save a TON of money by not having to have "school clothes," worry about packed lunches or buying lunch, school supplies (we can just stock up when on sale and make do with what we have the rest of the time), and school fundraisers. Not to mention the gas, if we had to get the kids there ourselves!<br /><br />I actually have so many money saving tips that my blog is all about that, so if you want to know ALL my creative budget secrets, that's where to find them!Chris K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12054057713267875769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3662211259268984177.post-86229240120972239982011-04-20T17:43:38.826-07:002011-04-20T17:43:38.826-07:00for some reason an idea popped into my head readin...for some reason an idea popped into my head reading about remembering to turn the lights off... this is something we always forget to do... especially since our energy bill is included in rent... What if instead of a light switch people had timers like the hot tub at the ymca... that way you wouldnt have to remember to turn the lights off hahaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com