Ok, I will admit, I am a little obsessed with all those farm food influencers on social media that show how they grow an entire year’s food for their families on as little as an eighth of an acre. I am enraptured with the hundreds of jewel-hued glass jars lining entire shelves of entire rooms, freezers packed full of protein and other foods that they harvest and use all year long. I thrill to see the homemade baked breads, jams and jellies, condiments and more.
Yes, I am a bit obsessed.
I also know that I don’t have an entire basement or attic to allocate for an entire year’s worth of canned and frozen goods, nor the land to grow that much food unless I were to level my beloved Enchanted Forest. Since I am never going to entertain that, I will do what I can. I have a deck garden and a tidy little mini greenhouse below the deck in my Pit Bull’s backyard. I have seemingly a million canning jars and use them all the time. I do bake nearly all of our bread and stock up on bargains when and wherever possible.
The point is, I try and remain inspired by what I see others doing. I mean, sure, I’d LOVE an entire basement of gem-tinted jars I’d personally canned, but I am admittedly too squeamish and an ardent animal lover to care for farm animals that I will end up killing at some point. I’d never be able raise my own animals for slaughter. No thanks. And having a pitbull means I will never be able to raise chickens for sure. Annabelle would lose her little pittie mind.
I remain determined to expand my frugal horizons, however. I am going to collect outer onion peels and bits to make onion powder next time I need some. I have a dehydrator and am planning on making some sundried tomatoes come this summer because I grow plenty of tomatoes and sundried can be pricy.
I am also going to ramp up my composting efforts to ensure that I am recycling every bit of produce and compostable kitchen scraps.
The point is, do what you can, when you can. Bit by bit. add what you can to your frugal efforts and soon the cost savings will start adding up. Pick your frugal battles and realize the savings.
We may not be able to grow all our own food or raise chickens, but we can grow some herbs, bake our own bread and can many vegetables. We can hit thrift stores for unique clothing items and specialty event clothing instead of buying brand new. We can choose moments for gifts; events that build memories rather than pricy material items (more on that in a separate blog). We can choose to spend time and experiences, not money, to enhance and enrich our lives.
the house behind 