What Do You Do To Save Money? - Small Cabin Forum

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hattie Member	# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 12:27pm Reply I was just wondering if anyone has any good ideas on how to save some money? With prices going up all the time, it is getting harder and harder to stretch that dollar (loonie here in Canada S). We use energy saving lightbulbs in our place and I hang our laundry to dry on the line outside in the summer and inside in the winter. What do you do?

Martian Member	# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 12:42pm Reply I have cut my trips to town way down. The Jeep gets 17mpg. Every trip to town uses a gallon of fuel; so I make each trip count. I heat with wood and haven't used 5 gallons of propane this Winter, and when I go on firewood cutting excursions, the trailer gets filled before going home. Winter is a slow time for my contracting business, and Fall wasn't that good. My walls aren't getting painted until work picks up this Spring. I had planned on that being a Winter project. Tom

VTweekender Member	# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 05:12pm Reply I bake my own bread, around 1/3 the cost of store bought and 10 times better.

Rifraf Member	# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 05:28pm - Edited by: Rifraf Reply Im pretty poor lately so I do alot of things, least of all recently decided to leave my large home and live in a small cabin to save money. Some day to day things I do.. Use low watt light bulbs Fill the bath 1/4 Make sure i shop where the items are cheap not where they are marketed most example ALDIS instead of HYVEE/WALMART for groceries. Turn off lights if im not in a room dont leave the Computer running 24/7 Use my motorcycle when I can to go get small things from the store (trashbags, laundy soap ect) * If i can do it myself, or learn to do it myself, I try to do that when possible instead of paying for labor. * Do for others in terms of labor, they almost always pay me back in labor and save me money as well I may start baking bread too, that sounds like a great idea VTweekender, between myself, wife and kids we go through lots of it. How much time do you need to make say 4 loaves of bread?

VTweekender Member	# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 05:38pm Reply Rifraf, its easier than you think, maybe half hour prep time then bake time, you can make 4 loaves at once if you have 4 pans, I use smaller pans (4x8) and make just 1 LB loaves because its just me at home now, but in your case maybe use 2 pans a little larger (5x9 or 10)and make 2 LB loaves, 2 at a time, no preservatives so 2 loaves would most likely do it for you. If you want to try it I will post my favorite recipe here and step by step instructions for them to come out perfect for you. Kev

TomChum Member	# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 05:52pm Reply Don't buy drinks. Look at the difference in size from small to large (2.29 / 2.49 / 2.69) you can see how much the stuff might actually cost. Plus its just sugar, zero nutrition and basically a waste of money. And buying water costs more than gasoline.

VTweekender Member	# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 06:42pm - Edited by: VTweekender Reply "How to make your own bread" At wallymart or whatever discount store, get a 5LB "bread" flour, most the time you will see Gold Metal $2.50 and King Arther $3.50 , King Arthur is more expensive but does give you a much better bread. DO NOT ever try to use "All Purpose" flour, it does not work. Also get a strip or 2 of "Active Dry Yeast" packets $1.20 for 3 packets. A 5 LB bread flour will yield 15 cups or so. To make 2 - 1LB loaves 4" x7 or8" pans "or" for 1 - 2LB loaf 5 x 10" pan. Here is a great bread, no preservatives. In a small bowl put about 1/2 cup "HOT" tap water, add a pinch of sugar to it, then add 1 packet active dry yeast and stir it just a bit, do this quickly so the water does not cool off on you, cover it with a cloth or something and put aside. The sugar will activate the yeast and it will bubble in about 10 minutes. The reason you want to use tap water is because this water needs to be within 85 to 100 degrees, any cooler the yeast will not activate, any hotter kills the yeast. In a large bowl put 4 level cups of bread flour, 3 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 3/4 cup of water, 1 cup of milk. Mix together vigorously for about 2-3 minutes, with your hands is ok if you don't have a 4 or 5 quart mixer with dough hook. After this short premix, add the bubbled up yeast to the mixture..mix again for maybe 5 minutes...Make sure its mixed together well and should be sticky to the touch just a bit, if to dry add a little more water just a bit at a time until it is just a little sticky to the touch..if too sticky or soupy add a little flour.. Take the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured flat surface, now you need to "knead" the dough, for about 5 minutes, use the bottom of your palms and push the dough into the flat surface , flip it and roll it, knead again with palms pushing firmly, most likely will have to keep lightly flouring the surface so the dough won't stick,.. keep doing this kneading and rolling process for about 5 minutes vigorously. Lightly coat your pan(s) with oil or butter. This portion of dough will make 2 small 1 LB loaves in 2 smaller pans or 1 - 2 LB loaf in a 5x10 pan. Meatloaf pans work great for a larger 2 LB loaf too. Form your dough(s) into a log the length of the pan and put it into the pan and cover it with a towel or whatever you have. Put in the warmest place you have in your home, most the time its up high, and let the dough(s) rise until they reach the top of the pan(s). The dough will about double in size during the rise.. Usually about an hour or 2. Preheat oven to 375, bake about 35 minutes, the top will be golden brown. To make sure they are done, to check take them from oven and flip out of the pan upside down, pat the bottom of the loaf and if you hear a hollow sound then its done, if you hear only a solid sound then it needs another 5-10 minutes. When done, let cool maybe an hour before you try to slice it. Don't bag it until fully cooled, about 3-4 hours or the moisture will build up in your bread bag as it escapes the bread. There ya go folks! a great homemade bread for maybe 75 cents!!.

Just Member	# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 07:54pm Reply If you are making bread every 2 or 3 days you could preserve your own yeast by adding a spoon full of todays yeast to a fresh cup of sugar water to start your next batch a few days later keep in cool spot not cold, my granny often did this.. save you about 40 c a loaf

cabingal3 Member	# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 11:54pm - Edited by: cabingal3 Reply i am eagerly awaiting the time when my daughter and her sons leave to a place of their own so me and the mister can have our routine.it usually takes us days on end to fill the dishwasher.it takes a long time to fill the washing machine too.we use our towels for one week .then wash.when i bake bread in the oven or homemade pies-once the oven is turned off.i open it a bit to warm up our home.we eat our leftovers .i tend to make too much.so we just eat on whatever i made till gone.when i am home.i mostly just stay home as there is plenty to do here with out galavanting about wasting gas and car.we look for really good deals in the newspaper for food shopping.i go to a place called grocery outlet.it has alot of good deals and i go to an outdoor market where apples are 49 cents a pound but if u get them at the regular store alot of times they are double and triple this price.i like to use things up before we toss something out.reduce,reuse,recycle.

Malamute Member	# Posted: 5 Feb 2012 11:06am - Edited by: Malamute Reply I heat with wood, getting slabs from a small sawmill. It's free other than the gas and time to go get it ($45 in gas and and a pleasnt afternoon in the mountains to get 2 cords at a time. I use about 3-4 cords depending on how cold the winter is). No TV or cable/satellite bill. I unplugged the large freezer that didnt have much in it. I don't go to movies much, I borrow dvds's from the library, I go out to eat once or twice a week, whenever I go to town, but don't spend money on fancy coffees, or things like that (not that it's a great sacrifice, I never got in that habit). Other than living in a rather small place, and living pretty simply, that's about all I do. Oh, I reload to make my recreational shooting affordable, and shoot 22's more often, tho I havent been shooting as much the past few years. I need to get that situation fixed.

neb Member	# Posted: 5 Feb 2012 06:16pm Reply It does look like we all have the internet. It is one thing I wouldn't give up but would give something else up to pay for the net.

simon	# Posted: 5 Feb 2012 11:07pm Reply We don't drive much.. We stock the pantry and freezer, and never rarely have to go anywhere for anything. I cook from scratch every meal. No boxes mixes, or fancy cuts of meat. Lots of potatoes, rice, and beans. I buy large cuts of meat, and cut them up myself. I buy in bulk, divide, and freeze them in smaller portions. We are both smokers.. I roll my own smokes with a machine for $10 a carton. I use free WIFI. Got rid of contract cell phones, only have a prepaid. It's always ready to go, but haven't used it in 6 months or more I buy everything used, from pawn shops, eBay, Craigslist, or auctions. My Jeep has 189,000 miles on it, my car has 145,000 on it.. I own them both. Not the bank. Insurance is also LOTS cheaper. We don't celebrate the consumerism holidays.. That's saved us at least $1,500.00 or more a year alone.. We hand make our own gifts. We don't take vacations, we go camping :D We don't buy CD's or Video games, or go to the movies.. We entertain ourselves. I'm a musician. We DIY everything. Fixing cars, fixing the house, we fix it all. If we don't know how, we Google it. No TV.. Don't have one. Last pair of boots I bought was 8 years ago. Made in USA, and I still wear them daily. Buy quality, and it lasts longer. Cast iron pots and pans last forever.. If I don;t have the money in my pocket, in cash.. I can't afford it, and I don't buy it.. NO CREDIT CARDS!! I know I have a bunch more things we do, I just can't remember them all right now. We know how to live on a little bit of nothing when we have to.

simon	# Posted: 5 Feb 2012 11:51pm Reply Oh yeah.. I forgot.. We plan our trips to get certain items where they are cheapest. Sometimes Aldies is cheaper, but I found they weren't on most items, and the quality of most of the food is poor. IMO.. So I don't bother much with going there unless I know they have cheap butter and things. Oh yeah.. About the bread.. Buy some gluten, and you can use those big 10lb bags of AP flour in your bread. Don't waste money on self rising flour. Its just AP flour, salt, and baking powder. Cake flour, just add corn starch.. Buy yeast in the large bag.. I get 1lb bags and keep it in the freezer. But I bake bread, or rolls every day, it'll last me a month or two.. If you put a bit of that yeast and some sugar in a big jug of 100% apple juice, put the cap on, but let the air out a few times a day, and let it sit awhile.. You get hard cider.. For around 3$ a gallon.. :D

hattie Member	# Posted: 6 Feb 2012 12:04am Reply Wow....These are some great ideas. It sounds like lots of you make your own bread. Thanks for the recipe VTweekender. I make some of our bread but use a bread machine. Probably the electricity it uses, cancels out the fact that it is home made. I'm thinking it's time to get back to the old fashioned way. Probably a lot healthier for you too.

Becca Member	# Posted: 6 Feb 2012 01:13pm - Edited by: Becca Reply There are a lot of good ideas here. I wasn't always concerned with saving money until I was laid off from my corporate job several years ago. That will definitely change your outlook. I recently moved back to GA to help my parents, and I'll be building my cabin on our land so I can be near them. When I do, I'll go with solar for as much as I can (although I'll have a couple of outlets hooked up for A/C and any other high-drainage items). Here are a few other things I do. I went vegetarian years ago, so that cut down on my grocery bill quite a bit. That also cut down on eating out a lot since many restaurants aren't vegetarian friendly (especially in the southern U.S.). I prefer cooking my own food most of the time anyway. I drink mostly water instead of carbonated drinks or alcohol. I used to have kidney stones fairly often and got into the habit of just drinking water to help prevent them. That step alone cut way down on my medical bills. I bake bread for us when I can. I also make pizza dough and other things from scratch rather than buy it. My parents have a garden every year and we put up lots of vegetables (we grow things together and share). I'm studying herbalism (for minor ailments - I'll still seek more advanced medical treatment when necessary). I use energy efficient light bulbs and turn things off when not in use. I have a tv right now, but may not in my cabin. Most of the time I'd rather read a book anyway. I do not have credit cards anymore and will not have them again. My truck is paid for and I'll keep it as long as I can. With only 110,000 miles, it still has lots of life left. I try not to drive any more often than necessary. I don't have a cell phone. I may have another one in the future, but haven't decided. When I buy tools and such, I try to get the best quality I can afford. I only want to buy something once. I DIY as much as I can. I don't have a closet overflowing with clothes or shoes. I get what I need and make it last as long as I can. I also don't spend much on make-up (never have anyway). We don't buy into the "consumer" holidays. Gifts are fewer, but have more meaning. I plan on using rain barrels and also setting up a greywater system to make most efficient use of everything I can. I'm sure there are other things I do, but I can't think of them right now.