Some green and frugal tips for families who want to live with a little less clutter, less worry and much more wisdom all the time building relationship with their family.
The first step in becoming more frugal is to change your mindset – frugal does not mean Scrooge-like and mean. It means you are being a good steward with your finances as well as with the lives of your family.As I am a mom, I will be writing from this perspective. However I know that many parents, and singletons, who can benefit from these frugal tips which will cover all areas of your home and life.
The frugal tips you learn, you will naturally pass on to them what you learn in this process which will stand them in good stead later in their lives.
I encourage you to also submit your own frugal living tips on a separate submission page where you can share your ideas with other families.
Frugal Tips For Food
1. Grow as much of you own food as you are able to. Even if it is just a couple of pots of tomatoes and chillies that you have room for, this is one less thing that you will have to buy.
2. Shop local as then you are paying for the food, not the oil it cost to get the food across a continent to you.
3. Buy seasonal fruit and vegetables as then you are not paying airfreight for the food to be flown from another hemisphere.
4. Cook from scratch by making as many of your regularly made meals and basic yourself.
5. Where possible buy in bulk and store as needed. This goes for fresh produce as well. Learn to can seasonal fruits and vegetables so that you have them in your stock pile for a later date.
6. If you use coupons, don’t be tempted to buy things with coupons that you do not normally eat….this is counterproductive and you will end up wasting more than saving.
7. Try and implement a few meatless meals a week. For more help on planning meals be sure to look at my mom’s meal planner.
8. Store all left over’s from meals over a few days and then either have a pick and choose lunch or recombine to make a interesting dinner.
9. Do not buy bottled water….its bad (really bad) for the environment and is costly for your wallet.
10. If you work, bring your own lunch from home. When my husband worked away from home I always set aside a portion of dinner for his lunch the next day.
11. Every now and again do a pantry or freezer challenge for a couple of days before heading out to the shops for new items. This is one way to use up odds in your pantry and cupboards and gets your creative cooking juices going!
See more grocery money saving tips here>>>>>>>>
Frugal Home Management Tips
1. Learn to make your own green cleaners, not only are they gentler on your clothes and environment, they are at least half the cost of bought cleaners.
2. Teach yourself and train your children to be wise stewards of water and power and save on your utility bills by implementing these water saving tips and power saving ideas.
3. Do not waste and use what you have. Many a broken appliance can be repaired rather than replaced.
4. Get rid of all items that have the word “disposable” in them and replace them with reusable items.
5. Line dry your washing instead of using the dryer on any fine day no matter what the season.
Read more about creating a frugal budget here >>>>>>>>>>>>
Frugal Tips For Your Family
1. A frugal family makes sure that they replace activity with relationship. So if you are new to a frugal lifestyle think a little about what you are currently paying for (movies, malls, diner out) and replace it with relationship building times like DVD’s and popcorn at home, board game evenings, walks and picnics and pot luck dinners with friends at home.
2. Because they are like our family….consider learning to make your own dog or cat food which is cheaper for you in the long run as your animals will be healthier. If you manage to buy your pet’s protein source cheaply – stock up on it when it is on special.
3. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. If your neighbours have 100’s of Christmas lights or a new car….must you?
4. Numerous mobile phones and more than one phone line in the house is a luxury. The person or child who is not with the family at home should be the one to have the mobile for just that occasion and it should not be a way to socialise.
5. Avoid the doctor by eating a diet high in fresh fruits and veggies and staying organic as far as possible. Make sure that you have a good quality supplement for your children.
6. Go for an annual dental check up and teach your children good dental hygiene so that you do not have to have large bills to fix cavities.
Read more about raising frugal savvy kids here >>>>
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