Finding the path to debt freedom is a known passion of mine. I’ve shared our journey and what works for us here. Today I am honored to feature a guest post from Michele over at Frugal Granola (you’ve really got to read her blog if you don’t already!), she is truly an inspiration to me.
During the early years of our marriage, we had our share of debt. It started with school loans, then the addition of medical bills, followed by the expense of a car, a mortgage, and the cost of having a baby.
Through those years, feeling the burden of debt, I would often hear financial suggestions, such as “Skip the cup of coffee,” or “Entertain at home instead of going out.” These are certainly wise suggestions, but I would shake my head in dismay; we were already doing these things!
We were meeting our daily expenses and bill payments, but were exhausted by the amount of time working and our lack of family time. It certainly didn’t feel like we had the freedom to live out our values. We were “living to work” instead of “working to live.”
We finally realized the steps to our financial freedom needed to be more extreme.
Here are some things we discovered along the way to being debt-free. Many of these concepts seemed counter-intuitive- even turning our lives “upside down”- but they worked for us.
• Mama quit her job. I know, it seems ridiculous; we’re in a season where we need more money, and we’re eliminating a source of income? But stick with me. This will have an affect on other things further down the list. When you tally up the cost of working, there are quite a few costs to consider, such as transportation, clothing/cosmetics, childcare, taxes, and meals.
• Relocate Creatively. At one point, we ended up moving from a three-bedroom home in a small town into a one-bedroom apartment in the city. We kept a futon in the living room, so it was like having “two bedrooms.” There was also a season when we rented a basement “apartment” in someone’s home. I know of others who have shared large homes, or lived in similar “creative” arrangements with their families during financially-challenging seasons.
• Make it yourself. Take a quick look around your kitchen cupboards. Are they full of bulk ingredients or grocery items in small packages? If it is in a “package,” eliminate it from your grocery list (such as snacks, pasta, cereal, and canned beans or soups). (No, you won’t starve!)
Once Mama comes home, she can have more time to prepare things from scratch (such as snacks, meals, cleaning supplies, and even cosmetics). There are plenty of simple and fabulous recipes out there to learn from and adjust to your family’s tastes. Search out whole grains, dry beans, bulk flours, nuts, etc. These staple items are not only inexpensive (more food for your money), they are more nutritionally-dense than their packaged, processed counterparts. (This has the budget-friendly effect that you need less food to feel full, plus it is healthier!)
• Take care of your health. If you’re not overworking yourself, and stressed over your workload, you will have taken a big step in this already. Eat healthy foods (see the previous point) and take time to rest well. If you are currently one of those snazzy coupon-clippers and getting those great grocery deals, check the ingredients first. I’ve learned that in the long run, it can be worth it to forego the deal and pay for quality, nourishing food, than to pay the cost of high medical bills later.
• Stay out of the store. I order most of my groceries through a natural foods co-op that delivers once a month. It provides me with “wholesale” prices, without the expense of membership and travel to a wholesale store. If that is not an option for you, consider once-a-month shopping at an affordable local grocery store, so that you’re not tempted to pick up extras each time you stop by the store.
Figure out a grocery list of the basic staples, and stick to it. Make sure to look at the unit price (such as per ounce), not just the cost of the item; the higher cost item may actually be larger, thus giving you a better deal. Overall, when shopping isn’t an option, and you are “shopping” from your own pantry, you’ll get creative!
• Eliminate a car. Now that Mama isn’t commuting to work and running to the store and daycare all the time, you can cut the costs of transportation! Become a one-car (or no-car!) family. Car insurance, fuel, vehicle maintenance, and car payments can be eliminated. Plus, without a second car, you will have to plan ahead for your outings. You’ll have to think twice about whether it’s worth it (or if you’ll be going somewhere that will cause you to spend even more money).
• Toss the disposables. Cross the paper towels, napkins, and diapers off of your grocery list. Purchase or make affordable reusable alternatives; old rags are usually free! (It has now been over three years since I bought my last roll of paper towels, and my cloth cleaning rags are still working great!) Nurtured Family offers an affordable, basic kit of “one size” cloth diapers from Econobum that can fill the need (and they don’t even need pins!). Or, contact The Cloth Diaper Foundation (formerly Miracle Diapers) for assistance. (You can always decide to “upgrade” your cloth diapers later, when your budget allows, if you want to.)
Now that Mama is home, it will be easier to allow time for washing diapers and other reusable items, and you won’t have to worry about daycares that require disposables. (Even if Mama is still working, you can take some small steps in this area.) This step will benefit your budget in the years to come, as items can be perpetually reused; increasing your savings over time.
• Cut the media. Evaluate the media that is coming into your home, and how much you’re paying for it. Our society tends to assume media is an “essential.” But it is possible to go without. At various times in our life, we have discontinued internet service at our home, and just used the internet and other materials at libraries and free wi-fi spots. I also chose not to renew magazine subscriptions I had been purchasing.
We chose not to have cable television, and eventually sold our TV (which bought a week’s worth of groceries!). In addition to these costs, media is full of commercials; continually perpetuating a desire for more. (When we’re cutting costs, shopping ideas aren’t very fun to have around!) Remove your name from catalog mailing lists, so you’re not tempted to browse and shop. It is so easy to convince yourself something is necessary, when it is sitting there in front of you.
• Celebrate Simply. You don’t have to approach holidays like Scrooge, just because you’re on a penny-pinching budget. Find joy in the simple, authentic things of life (which really aren’t things!). Quality time in a favorite place, such as a picnic lunch at the park or the beach, a hike in the woods, a candlelit dinner on the patio, or other free/low-cost activities are great ways to celebrate. Strive for handmade gifts (get the kids involved!), instead of running to the store for a gift; they will be cherished.
These are some of the main avenues we pursued. There are many other small ways to tackle your budget’s bottom line. But most of all, be creative, and know that our Lord is our Jehovah Jireh (our provider) who loves to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:7-11) Prayerfully place your budget and desires in His hands, contentedly knowing that His provision in His timing is always the best. Blessings to you, as you pursue financial freedom!
A creative, frugal mom of two, Michele lives a simple and sustainable life with a passion for God, family, organic food, and bargain shopping. Residing in rural Washington state, Michele can often be found ministering to women over a cup of tea at her kitchen table, picking up vintage finds at the thrift store, sewing for her Etsy shop, and harvesting produce from her garden for supper, while wearing her baby, homeschooling her preschooler, and smooching her hard-working, beloved husband. Michele loves encouraging women through her blog, Frugal Granola.
This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.
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excellent article. We’d been struggling about whether or not I should go back to work since money has gotten so much tighter. I knew there was so much more I could be contributing by staying at home and you’ve confirmed it… refreshing! thanks.
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
May 25th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
@zeemaid, I’m glad you found the confirmation you needed! Blessings to you in this season, and in your coming decisions.
Michele
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Very good tips! Thanks, Phoebe and Michele!
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These are awesome tips! We had to get extreme, too, and thankfully are now out of debt completely! I just shared it on Facebook.
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
May 26th, 2010 at 10:58 am
@Sherry, Thanks, Sherry!
Congratulations!
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while i like your points, i think some are a little to extreme for me to consider. shopping once a month in particular. on a different note, even if i only adopted half of your suggestions above and got a part time (10-20 hr) job on the side i would see the savings and increase in income that i am sure you saw with your tips.=)
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
May 26th, 2010 at 10:57 am
@Stephan, I hear that a lot, Stephan; “It’s too extreme for me…” I’d love to know why!
Also, some of these steps may need to happen in gradual “babysteps” as you develop new routines (shopping once-a-month, for example).
Blessings,
Michele
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Kimberly Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
@Michele @ Frugal Granola,
One of the reasons why shopping once a month would be too extreme for us is because we have four teenagers and one pre-teen…and I already fill my fridge on once a week shopping trips (which include 5-6 gallons of milk, among other things. We can’t afford a second or larger fridge. The media…well if only my husband was game for that! I loathe the thing personally.
One of the other things we’ve done for getting out of debt is, when grocery shopping, if the budget is $125.00 a week (which it is, having, as I said 7 in the family including four teens which eat unbelievably large amounts of food), if I manage to go under budget, I take the difference, go to the place that we have our card or debt, and pay on one of our debts with it, even if it is only 8.37 as it was today. You’d be amazed at how fast we’re making this Sears card go down!
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
@Kimberly, Ah, thanks for sharing!
Kristen Reply:
June 4th, 2010 at 9:54 am
@Michele @ Frugal Granola, I’m one of those who think once a month shopping is too extreme! Oh, I could do it for most things, but would never do it for things like dairy, produce and meat. I do NOT like the taste or texture of frozen foods. I’ve tried some of those freezer cooking days on other blogs, and I’ve found the quality of frozen entrees, or even of frozen ingredients, is sub-standard to fresh ones. We buy all organic dairy products, mostly organic produce, and I get my meat fresh from a local butcher, who sources it from nearby farms.
I know some people say you can’t tell the difference with frozen food, but I can totally tell. There is a huge difference!
Other than that, the biggest hurdle, I think, for people who say they can’t do it, is because it takes careful planning. You have to know what meals you want to make for a month, and that can be daunting!
All that said, we ran out of grocery budget the last week of May, and I was amazed at how many meals I was able to make with just what was in my house! That buy-ahead principle really works!
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I agree–I would love to know why you feel some are too extreme. I used to be an avid once a week (sometimes more) shopper, and always thought people who shopped less than that were crazy! I now shop no more than bi-weekly, and hope to change to monthly by summer end. And I definitely agree–baby steps are a must. If not you will overwhelm yourself and set yourself up for failure.
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i would love to read a post you write (or guest) on how to feed hungry toddlers in-between meals. i feel that is what costs me so much money these days, are the packaged snacks. my 20-month old loves rice cakes, for example. expensive. my 3-yr old will not eat apples for the life of me. do you think your little ones eat the homemade snacks just because that is all they have known? or do you have toddler-even baby-friendly snacks that you rely on day after day, that you buy at a grocery store? i’m just trying to figure out how to save in the snack area…
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GettingFreedom Reply:
May 26th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
@Jenny– Snacks can definiltey be a budget killer! As for me, my kids haven’t always known homemade snacks. I used to buy a lot of pre-packaged snacks/foods before our journey to debt freedom began (and our journey to healthier eating for that matter). Currently our snacks consist mostly of fruits, smoothies, homemade granola/fruit parfait, yogurt, or homemade cakes/cookies/breads. I try to catch the fruit on clearance as much as I can, and I stock up and freeze what we can’t eat right away. The frozen fruit is what we end up using in our smoothies or even baked goods.
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Jess Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Hi there, do you have a link to your recipes? I would love to be more into making snacks..huge cost saver, plus its better for your children.
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GettingFreedom Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 4:13 pm
@Jess–
Here is a link to my recipes, which can also be found in the top navigation bar. And, here is a link to Michele’s recipes from her site.
Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
May 26th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
@Jenny, Jenny, I don’t buy any packaged snacks for my kids now, although I did when my daughter was a young toddler. She learned quickly that mama wasn’t buying anymore cookies, & if she was really hungry, we could find something she liked in our fridge/pantry.
She was also a big fan of rice cakes in those days!
We rely on fruits & veggies (avocado for the baby is great!), hard-boiled eggs, homemade cookies/crackers (sometimes spread with cream cheese or nut/seed butter or melted cheese in the toaster oven), sliced cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt or kefir, frozen peas or berries, homemade trail mix (for the older one), homemade tortillas with hummus/other spreads (or burritos- can be frozen individually), popcorn. and leftover muffins/pancakes/waffles.
We have had fun exploring the Farmer’s Market & produce sections at the grocery store to find “new-to-us” produce. You child may find something they like much better than apples!
I like to prep snacks once a week or so, and put diced/sliced produce in containers in the fridge for “grab & go” convenience.
You can visit my post on “portable food” for some ideas, too: http://frugalgranola.blogspot.com/2008/08/nourishing-portable-food.html
I’d love to hear what you try out!
Blessings,
Michele
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Katie Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:41 pm
@Jenny, Kids are adapatable. They can go without a few snacks if they are being stubborn. don’t let them push you around.
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Robbie @ Going Green Mama Reply:
June 6th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
@Jenny, you can easily make a number of snacks, like applesauce (which you can add other berries to!) in your crockpot, breads, low-sugar cookies, etc. My kids have been helping in the kitchen since they were a year old, so let them enjoy!
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This is a great read! I’ve worked outside of the home for 10+ years and have 4 kiddos (12, 6.5, 30 mos, 4 mos). My hubby is a teacher so we’ve “had” to keep me working. About a year ago we started thinking about these ideas. I’m still working, but we’re almost to the point where 12 mos+/- I’ll be staying home.
We now …
*shop twice a month
*went from 2 cars to 1 car; we now carpool and mind our random drives
*cut out print media
*adopted a budget (duh, why didn’t we do this sooner?!)
*cut our celebration spendings (strict Christmas & bday budgets)
*modified my work schedule to 4-10s to save on 1 day/wk of child care
*starting OAMC and prepping foods on the weekend
*starting living on cash vs the debit card
*eliminated consumer debt
*started “shopping” Freecycle and garage sales
It’s amazing how God’s hand is present through it all! The last on our list is to relocate to cut our housing expense.
*whew* I didn’t expect to leave a huge comment! It was just a good read.
Allie
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
May 26th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
@AllieZirkle, I’m so excited for you, Allie!
Thanks for sharing! 
Blessings,
Michele
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These are some great tips! I am just starting my journey to be debt free and I’m looking for all the tips and suggestions that I can find. So thank you for this post!
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
May 28th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
@Jamie, Blessings to you as you enter this journey!
Thanks for stopping by.
Michele
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We have done ALL of these things (and more), except for the cloth diapers (and we didn’t sell the tv, but we don’t have cable. We do watch dvds). I tried for a while, but with three children in diapers for the last five years, and no changing table, it became too much for me, time-wise, to change cloth diapers for all three every hour and make bread, soups, garden, homeschool, comfort, cuddle, etc.
Also, I went from once a month shopping, to once every few months, or even longer, depending on our income.
As far as toddlers–they get used to it. It may take some time,and they might refuse to eat. That’s okay. They’ll eat when they’re really hungry. They’ll throw tantrums, of course, but eventually they’ll have to choose from what you have.
When our income stopped, cold cereal stopped, too. There were no Cheerios for the toddlers who wanted them. My 2-year-old didn’t like oatmeal, though the others did. It took him two years before he would eat it (he would eat muffins on the other days, or waffles, or pancakes, but not oatmeal on the days we had oatmeal). Now he’s five, and he LOVES oatmeal.
I’ve been making the gifts for several years now. I recently started a list for the rest of the birthdays and for Christmas gifts for this year. My children have learned to make gifts as well.
I”ll have to go check out your blog now!
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
May 28th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
@The Prudent Homemaker, Thank you so much for sharing your experiences!
I’m so glad you found a way to make it all work.
Blessings,
Michele
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Allison Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 2:37 pm
@The Prudent Homemaker,
Michele, I love your ideas (and have been practicing nearly all of them for a while). We’ve never had cable either (7 years of marriage), but I can’t imagine actually getting rid of our TV. My husband and I borrow movies from the public library as at-home date nights after the kids are in bed. Watching movies on a computer just wouldn’t cut it for us! Such a personal choice.
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The Prudent Homemaker Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
@Allison, If you have a laptop (and depending on your tv), and a simple cable that connects the two, you can watch Hulu shows on your tv–no expensive box required. The same goes for Netflix instant downloads.
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ksenia Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 8:37 pm
@The Prudent Homemaker, I’d love to hear what your home made gift ideas are! I spend WAY too much money on gifts. Please share.
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The Prudent Homemaker Reply:
June 4th, 2010 at 7:11 am
@ksenia,
I make dresses and nightgowns for my daughters.
My boys like pajamas as well. I was given some old plaid flannel sheets earlier this year by a friend of ours who was moving; my boys asked me to use them to make their pajamas this year.
My children love dress-up clothes. I bought costume fabric at 75% off after Halloween, and I used it to make knight and princess costumes.
I’ve also used used old cotton sheets (the top sheet, after the bottom has worn through) to make really soft handkerchiefs. My children love having their own handkerchiefs with their initial embroidered in the corner. I love not having to hand them tissues in church!
For my 2-year-old’s birthday this year, I made her a stuffed bird, using scraps of velvet and and flannel, and a free pattern I found online.
I’ve also made aprons, headbands, dress-up crowns, and doll clothes for the children.
I recently made a linen skirt for a friend of mine for her birthday.
Everything I make has to come from what I already have on hand, since I don’t have money to get something new. It’s been this way for a few years; thankfully, I had already built up a fabric supply (all on on sale) before our income stopped. However, in the years since then, I’ve had a few people share their fabric with me (usually people who were moving). I made a dress for my daughter out of curtains that were given to me.
I have lots of links to free sewing patterns and tutorials on my site here:
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/sewingforless.aspx
I also have links to other frugal homemade gifts (non-sewing) here (including lots of free printables–many of which I put in my children’s stockings last Christmas):
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/FrugalGifts.aspx
On my list to make this year, so far:
fairy costumes
pajamas
nightgowns
dresses
slips
more handkerchiefs (they all want more!)
A Narnia-styled Knight’s tunic
A mountain-man “leather” bag
My children love known that I made their gifts for them, and they’ve even helped make gifts for each other (felt barrettes for one daughters’ birthday).
Good luck! I have 6 children, so I have a lot to make each year, but we keep the number of gifts low per person (that helps as well!)
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
@ksenia, I regularly post about our family’s homemade gifts. Feel free to stop by with your questions.
Here are some:
http://frugalgranola.com/category/sewingcraftiness/
Blessings,
Michele
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We live on 1 income, my husband is a teacher. This post is inspiring. It shows exactly why I shouldn’t go back to work now that the kids are in school.
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
May 28th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
@Jennifer, I’m so glad you were inspired. (That’s a great feeling, isn’t it?)
Let me know how your journey goes!
Blessings,
Michele
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Wow! It’s like you got a look into my brain when you wrote this. We are so much healthier and happier living on my husband’s income (which is grad student wages!) than we ever could be if I worked to “put him through school.” If only people knew how great it is to stay home!
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mandy Reply:
June 2nd, 2010 at 5:23 pm
@Joanna @ Starving Student Survivor, Joanna, I am so intrigued and inspired by the fact that your family lives off a grad student salary! My husband has about 2 years left on his PhD, and I work FT. We have been trying to figure out a way to even let me drop to PT and it hasnt seemed possible. I’m going to keep crunching the numbers though, and try to make it work.
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Monica Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 3:36 pm
@mandy,
We have lived off of my husbands intern salary for two years now. It is so worth it! We seemed to have so more stress when I worked! Now I can do all of the little things to save money that I wouldn’t have had time to do before. Not to mention my son is so much better behaved! Also we were eligible for many more scholarships than before. If you really want to cut back you can find a way to do it.
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Joanna @ Starving Student Survivor Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 4:00 pm
@Monica, I agree, it is so worth it. Staying home with my kids is worth more than just money to me. It’s hard work making our resources stretch, but it can be done!
These are really great ideas. I actually prefer cloth for various reasons, but they have saved me a bundle. I also think one income has it’s advantages (more homemade food, less childcare, etc.). Think of all the crap we buy just because we can! Here from Frugal Friday.
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Thanks for posting this, I came over from moneysavingmom’s blog. We are doing almost everything you are doing, or are about to. My husband is beginning medical school in 2 months and we are expecting daughter #2 in 3 months. We will be living off student loans, but we’ve decided that our family of soon-to-be 4 can survive off what they budget for one single student. At this point in our lives, we’re looking to minimize the debt we go into. We do cloth everything, diaper, napkins, etc., although not toilet paper…not sure I could do that one. (I won a small sweepstakes last year that has kept us in toilet paper for over 2 years now, so it hasn’t been an issue.) We get almost everything we need off ebay or craigslist or freecycle. I try to make up as much of the financial slack as I can because I have time at my disposal. We were even offered a second car at a killer deal, but turned it down because we simply couldn’t justify the costs associated with keeping it up. It’s amazing, though. When you start living this way and you’re serious about it, you get great satisfaction from it and the Lord always provides. I love living frugally!
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GettingFreedom Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:39 pm
@Meagan–
I agree with you fully, I LOVE living frugally! My only regret, is that I waited so long to start.
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I’m just wondering how you can be completely paper towel free in your kitchen? I only use paper towels when drying a piece of fruit that I’ve washed (I can see how one could do that without a paper towel) and patting dry chicken that I’ve rinsed, but I can’t imagine doing that any other way.
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Patti Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 7:44 pm
@Emily, Funny, I have never used paper towels for either of those two things. When I come home from the store, I wash our produce and put it in my dish drainer to dry and then move it to the fruit bowl or refrigerator bin. As for chicken, if I wash it, I just “shake it out” and put it in the pot to cook. I guess it is how we were raised or taught. Now I do use paper towels when I use spray bleach/water mix (like to clean the sink after I have washed raw chicken) or do windows. Guess we all have to look for alternatives to our paper products.
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Charlene Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
@Patti,
You can use newspapers instead of paper towels to clean your windows. Tea towels work too. They don’t have lint.
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ksenia Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 8:42 pm
@Emily, I know it sounds crazy, but we have been paper towell free for four years now. I have lots of white (so I can easily bleach them) small “towells” stashed in the cubbornd that I use for stuff like that. If you need a pefectly clean one to dry fuit — pull one out, then you can reuse that one to clean counters, wash the sink, wipe the microwave… then toss it in a little bucket and after a couple of days throw the contents in the washer with some detergent and bleach. I feel SO good about being “green and paper free” not to mention the money saved. It’ll be hard for the first couple of weeks, but then you’ll get used to it and find it easy enough. Try it!
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
@Emily, Well, I’ve never dried a chicken… is that necessary? I just cook them.
But anyway, I use old cloth gerber “burp rags” or dishcloths for cleaning, and cloth napkins. Here is a post I wrote on our kitchen tips: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2008/08/greening-your-food-storage-the-frugal-way.html
Blessings,
Michele
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How do you find a wholesale co-op/buying club? I am in Orlando and have searched and searched – the only one I found had prices that weren’t any better than Whole Foods or Amazon and offered very few grains/seeds/nuts, etc. which is what I need. Thanks!!
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
@Eileen, I order from Azure Standard. They have delivery routes, and will also ship. http://www.azurestandard.com
You can also check Local Harvest, to see if any farms near you will sell direct. (I have purchased nuts this way.) http://www.localharvest.org
If you have any small “co-op” natural foods stores in town, check into them. Find out who their supplier is, and if you can order directly with them (or if they offer bulk/case discounts at the store).
You may be pleasantly surprised! I’d love to hear what you discover.
Blessings,
Michele
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Eileen Reply:
June 12th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
@Michele @ Frugal Granola, Thanks so much! I did call Azure Standard, but they don’t deliver to FL – have also tried Local Harvest and found farms for a few items. I may do a sample order with Azure and see how the UPS shipping charges work out. Still searching for a true co-op for bulk buying in FL. Thanks again.
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I spend a fortune on cereal and frozen waffles for my children, so I was interested to read that The Prudent Homemaker cut cold cereal out entirely. However, I was always under the impression that homemade muffins, waffles, and pancakes are not the healthiest of foods, due to white flour, sugar, etc. Not that some packaged cereals are much better, but I tend to buy Wheat Chex, etc. Do you, or any of your commenters, have healthier homemade recipes to share? Thank you…
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Julia Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:36 pm
@Amanda, I recently bought some whole white wheat flour and used it to make crepes (which my kids and LOVE–and they can be frozen) with great success. I used 100% whole white wheat too; many recipes can incorporate 50% or more whole grain flour.
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Amanda Reply:
June 4th, 2010 at 9:02 am
@Julia, Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Where do you purchase whole white wheat flour? Would you print your crepe recipe? Thanks again.
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Julia Reply:
June 4th, 2010 at 9:23 am
@Amanda, I found bought whole white wheat at Hy-Vee, a midwest grocery chain, but it is available at many stores. Look for Hodgson Mill and King Authur brands at your store or you can find it on Amazon.
Recipe for Crepes, also known as Swedish Pancakes:
1 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup (or more) flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Add milk to beaten eggs and beat together. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Combine with milk and eggs and beat until batter is smooth. Pour batter onto a greased 375 degree skillet, tilting the skillet and swirling until batter is evenly spread. Flip when center bubbles form.
Recipe can be doubled.
GettingFreedom Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:36 pm
@Amanda–
I make primarily all of our snacks and breakfast foods, but I also use whole wheat flour (usually freshly ground) as much as possible. Also, even though a lot of people still prefer to use white flour–I still find them to be healthier than some store bought counterparts. With homemade, you are in control of the exact amount of sugar you place in them, and homemade goods are an easy vessel to sneaking in fruits; especially applesauce in place of oil. For some of our favorite recipes–check out the recipe tab in the top Navigation Bar.
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Amanda Reply:
June 4th, 2010 at 9:07 am
@GettingFreedom, Hi! Thank you for responding. I did look at your recipe link, and am interested in trying to make the granola bars. When you substitute blueberries, apples, etc. for the raisins, do they need to be dried fruits? Will diced fresh apples work? And if you use fresh fruit, how long will these (or muffins, etc.) be shelf-stable? Do they require refrigeration? Sorry I am asking so many questions. Cooking was not my mother’s strong point; I never really learned, so am trying to do this on my own. For the past 14 years, I have been sticking to the basics! Thanks again.
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The Prudent Homemaker Reply:
June 4th, 2010 at 7:26 am
@Amanda, Amanda,
Whole wheat muffins, oatmeal, whole-wheat waffles, etc. are what I usually make. I buy wheat in bulk and I grind it at home, so I always have fresh whole-wheat flour. I do make some things with white flour, but I usually make those less often.
Here are some of the recipes I make for breakfasts:
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/breakfast.aspx
Also, you can use whatever kind of sugar you want in yours (honey,sucanot, etc.). And when you make it at home, you know exacty what is going in it, including no preservatives.
The best part about not having cold cereal? My children are not asking for a snack an hour after breakfast.
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Amanda Reply:
June 4th, 2010 at 9:13 am
@The Prudent Homemaker, Thank you so much for the link to your recipes! They look wonderful, and I can’t wait to try them. I agree with you 100% about the kids being hungry an hour after eating cereal!!! How do you grind your own wheat flour? What exactly do you buy at the store, and where, and what tools do you need to grind it yourself? Also, can these recipes be made ahead on a Sunday and be frozen, or kept in the refrigerator over the course of a week (or on the counter)? I work four ten-hour days (7 a.m. – 5 p.m.), so the older kids are usually just waking up to get ready for school when I leave for work. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of time in the morning to make breakfast, hence the cold cereal. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions!
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The Prudent Homemaker Reply:
June 4th, 2010 at 10:31 am
@Amanda,
Here is my info about grinding your own flour (including grinders and sources for buying wheat in bulk):
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/grains.aspx
You can definitely make waffles and muffins ahead of time, and freeze them or keep them in the fridge (or counter, but having no preservatives, they’ll need to be eaten in a couple of days if they’re on the counter).
I grew up on cold cereal. I was always so hungry at school that I would eat my lunch during the morning snack time!
By changing breakfasts to something more filling, my children can concentrate on school work insead of growling tummies! (And since I homeschool, it’s nice to not have them asking for more food when I haven’t even finished the breakfast dishes yet!)
What a great read! My husband and I are always looking for more ways to cut back, and you’ve got some great ideas!
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What a great post. I was a stay at home mom of 4 for 18 years and after a few years in the work force I have returned home even though I only have one son left at home. We have seen very little financial change in our budget since I quit work do to some of the expenses you mentioned above. One thing you didn’t mention is the benefit your children have from you being at home. There is no price tag you can place on this.
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
@Kelly, Absolutely, Kelly. There is no way to “get the time back” that I spent at the office, away from my baby. Children are truly a blessing from God, and worth every moment I can invest in them- no matter how much money I save (or not).
Thanks!
Michele
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What a super post! We live in a very spendy part of the country (Delaware . . . yep) and with a *lot* of creativity we are doing our best to live below our wage. It is so rewarding to see the savings for a home of our own add up. I do quite a bit of what you wrote about – cloth diapers, make lots of homemade food, etc – and have never once regretted being at home instead of working a job somewhere and putting my kids in daycare.
Thanks for sharing!
And THANKS for including Scripture! Praying over our finances and asking for God’s blessing and favor is essential. He watches over His children and provides for all their needs and more – I can attest to that.
I want every woman I know to read this article
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
@Marlene, Thanks so much, Marlene!
Blessings,
Michele
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I enjoyed your article. What a breath of fresh air! One thing to remember when mama works part time is that many times a part time job means that you are working harder than you would with a full time job. I don’t know why it is that way but it is. I have done it all and it seems that the part time job doesn’t pay as much as you would think it should and I was just and tired as if I had worked full time.
Great ideas. Feeding babies and toddlers is easier than you think. There was a (old, now) book called feed me I’m yours that had a lot of suggestions for snacks that weren’t prepackaged. I used many of the recipes in there for mine.
Thanks, karen
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
@Karen, Definitely, Karen.
A part-time job is usually more “disruptive” than helpful to the family at times. 
That’s why I didn’t recommend it.
I also enjoyed “1,2,3, Cook for Me.”
I’ll have to look for the book you recommended. It sounds like a fun read!
Blessings,
Michele
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I don’t have my hubby’s support on some of these ideas. I want to cancel cable but he says no. That would save roughly $90/month! I want to eliminate 1 car but he says no; he needs to commute and doesn’t want me to be stranded at home. What to do, what to do…
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Penny Reply:
June 3rd, 2010 at 2:33 pm
@Danielle,
Hey Dani; is your goal to stay at home, but you can’t cut enough expenses to make it work, or are you simply trying to cut costs “just because it’s prudent”?
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
@Danielle, Danielle,
I have been in that season, too.
I encourage you to glorify God with what you’ve been given, in submission to your husband. Do your best in other areas, and continue praying. Be faithful, hon.
Your husband will (hopefully) eventually appreciate your heart for blessing your family (in being financially responsible), and he may change his mind. If not, keep on anyway.
For us, it took some time for DH to discover he enjoyed other recreation instead of cable TV. (Perhaps you can help in that area- lovingly, gently, respectfully, of course.)
Blessings,
Michele
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Excellent ideas. I think it’s important to hear about what others are doing, and then individualize those ideas to fit ourselves. Thanks for sharing!
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Such a fabulous article. In the recent months I too took a hard look at our expenses and have doing the exact same things you’ve suggested! I bike instead of drive, I’m switching over to cloth diapers (you know, there are some great etsy shops that sell reusable cloth pads for mamas too) making things homemade instead of pre-packaged. I even got my husband to start making his own pizzas instead of ordering delivery! I was so happy to recieve some more tips from you. Thanks a buch!
http://www.livingonhomemade.com
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
@Sarah, Oh, yum- homemade pizza!
I highly recommend “mama cloth” too. I made some before our 2nd baby was born, and love it: http://frugalgranola.com/2009/08/mama-cloth/
Thanks so much for sharing your suggestions!
Blessings,
Michele
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I do some of those things, although others aren’t for me. But I wanted to suggest another extreme measure. If Mama doesn’t want to stay home, Papa my want to. Men are just as capable of cooking and changing diapers and reading to children.
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
@Karen Rucker, Thanks, Karen!
My husband is a wonderful chef & diaper-changing, story-reading daddy. 
I believe my role is to bless my family by being home, but I know many families do make the “role-reversal” work. It didn’t work for us, though. My heart was “at home,” and I missed that time with my baby, while my husband was at home and I was at the office.
Blessings,
Michele
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I know several people that have been working 2 full time jobs and still feel broke not to mention Exhausted. These are great tips! The small amount of time I invest each week to being a strategic shopper has been saving me enough money to equal at least a part time job. I would rather use these great blogs and coupons to save money than feeling pressure to work two jobs.
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I think your article provided some great food for thought, but certain things just wouldn’t work well for me. For example, I live in Minnesota, so I need a car 9 months out of the year. I also am not sure how many more kids I’ll have (if any more), so I am not on board with cloth diapering, much as I like that it is more earth friendly. I’d love to see affordable and compostable diapers get produced! Meanwhile, another reason I am rather forced to work FT is b/c of health insurance. SO expensive. Just coverage for my healthy infant is close to $300/month WITH a $3,000 annual deductible. But I agree with your kill-the-medias-influence concept. Have been tv free for 18 months now
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I like your article but right now we are suffering the consequences of the worst “frugal” advice we have ever taken and that is being a one car family. Even though we were making all the right money saving and emergency fund decisions there were just the right series of events to happen that this was such a bad idea.
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I love the suggestions. The very first year of my marriage, I was still in school and my husband had a temporary job. We had quite a bit of debt from putting books on the credit card etc. We decided it was in our best interest to get out of debt. We sold our only car, moved into a tiny upstairs apartment above an older blind woman. My husband sold his musical instruments. We had no cable. We needed internet because of my husband’s job, but we only had a land line that was the smallest package we could get. We lived on a dime.
When I was done with school, I found a very good job that allowed us to find a car we could pay cash for among other things. At the point we felt that it was time to think about a family, we moved across the country for my husband’s job, so that he could make enough money for me to stay at home with our children. I quit my job that payed more than his at the time and followed him across the country. We had no family there and people always asked, what brought us to this part of the country. I would reply that it was due to my husband’s work. But really what it came down to was not truly his work, but our decision about our lifelstyle. We felt it was so important for me to stay at home with our children that we left family and friends, his old (very stable) job and my job too. Over ten years later, I can say that it has been a decision that neither of us have regretted. Has it been hard? Of course! But my family and I are blessed every day because of it. The only debt we have is our house.
I think we tend to forget that we sometimes we need to do some scary things to reach our ultimate goals. Bravo for all your suggestions!
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Thank you so much for posting this. Three months ago, I lost my (great paying) job. While I have since found another job, it’s part-time, and I’m making only a third of what I once made. We need to be much more frugal, and reading this has “lit a fire” under me.
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@Jennifer, These are all great comments. We still have a tv, but don’t have cable. I think it would be much harder to cut out the Internet than it would be cable, though – staying at home with two little kids all day w/no family in town and most of my friends busy with their own kids makes it hard to feel like I can connect with people sometimes outside of email/blogs. Sad, but true, at least right now. But I realize too that just like tv and catalogs, the Internet can be a dangerous thing when it comes to shopping – not only do you hear of deals you don’t want to pass up, but reading other websites can expose you to more expensive lifestyles that suddenly you’re tempted to emulate.
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I loved all your ideas-especially the shopping once a month one…do you have any suggestions for finding a bulk/co-op buying club? thanks so much!!
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WOW! I thought I was actually doing a good job of being frugal but NOPE! My main problem is time. I work and transport kids to daycare (at Gma’s house) so time is spent before I can get home to fix dinner. I have to work because we have to have health insurance. My husband is self-employeed and diabetic. Thank for the other suggestions though. I definitely will be trying some!
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We already do all these things, yet I feel like we still struggle to make more than minimum payments on our debts.
-I’m a SAHM of a 7 months old baby girl
-We moved to a 1 bedroom apartment down the street from my hubby’s job so he could walk to work and I could walk to the shopping center (save money on travel expenses)
-We are a one car family (paid off & old)
-We switched to cloth diapers
-I make everything from scratch with our $75 a week grocery budget
-We have no internet, cable or phone
-We eat out 1 time a month
-We sell everything we don’t need on Craigslist
How do you get over this hump when you are doing everything frugal but still don’t get very far in paying off your debts?! We live in CA on $61,000 a year. Seems like we should be getting somewhere!
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I loved this article. I am a wife, not a mother yet, and my hubby just graduated college, so we have been living off of my full-time income for the last 2 years. We have learned how to live on a tight budget, cut some expenses, and make sacrifices, however I am always looking to the future and what more can I learn to do to save costs. I would like to learn these strategies prior to starting a family. While I probably wouldn’t use all the tips in here (I plan on always working, I’m going back to school for nursing and it’s my passion), I won’t have time for them all. But several of them I really liked. I am definitely a paper towel over-user, so I think I might try to switch to cloth cleaning rags and paper napkins at least and see how much $$ that saves us. I also like the idea about not grocery shopping weekly, which is what we do now, and we spend about $70/week for just two people!!!! So I think we need to learn how to cut that down. I am also going to start trying to do freezer cooking soon as I think that might help!
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Your top two things are exactly what my husband and I were discussing today at lunch! We’re hoping for baby #2 soon and need to get rid of debt! And I really want to be at home, raising my children instead of someone else!
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Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!
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