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Eco-Friendly Family
kenyakeetah
member
intro and a question
kenyakeetah
member
Hi my name is Caroline and have a 4 month son he is our first and probably only child. I just found this board and love that it's here. Now that I am a SAHM I have really started to find ways to be eco-friendly
now my question and any advice would help. We are now living on ome income and any work I could do (mall wise) wouldn't be worth it for daycare costs so we are trying to find ways to save money. At the moment we are spending more than we earn and are using credit which is fastly racking up.
I have stopped using a cell and have a home line, we have internet obviously but no cable we do use netflix and think I would be slightly lost for a while if we canceld it. We have a car which I would sell but we are still paying for it while it sits in storage as the sell price might cover the cost of the car.
I tend to be spending more in food but would like to find ways to spend less I dont buy canned and ready made thing but we still hit 100 + a week.
I would lobe things you have done to save money. we use clot diapers
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Re: intro and a question
Do you have a slow cooker? Meal planning with a slow cooker really helped us. Also, buying dried grains in bulk, of course, and with that- staying with seasonal produce. Do you have farmer's markets? Usually produce is cheaper at the end [last half hour or so] at the a farmer's market. Or what about a CSA?
Also, although this takes a good chunk of money to start with, buying in bulk the ingredients you need to make your own detergents will REALLY save a lot of money in the long-run... or in the short-run too! Here is Pooico's blog with loads of great ideas: https://www.theecofriendlyfamily.com/ and there's also https://www.mindfullyfrugalmom.com/
Oh, and I love BC! Gorgeous. My ILs are in Seattle. We'll be there for Thanksgiving and I can't wait!
Welcome and congrats on your LO!
Cloth diapers
Breastfeeding
Buy local produce, in season
Bundle up instead of cranking the heat
Make your own detergent
Clean with vinegar/water spray instead of buying chemicals
Use baking soda to clean with
BUY USED! Kids don't need new things. Hit up consignment or craigslist for toys and clothes.
Follow grandma's advice- Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
Good luck, and welcome.
Be super careful with credit cards racking up (from family experience)...all it takes is them seeing a building balance or one missed payment and they can jack up your rates and slap on heavy fees fast enough to make your head spin. You can find yourself in deep trouble really fast.
Also, don't have cash in your pocket (I always spend it), avoid the coffees and snacks while out, cancel netflix and rent from your local library and check out books there, craigslist and consignment is where we get all toys and clothes, thrift store for anything I need, vinegar/bakingsoda/castile soap...is all I use for housecleaning/deo/shampoo (saves a bundle).Use rags instead of paper towels.
Is there any way you can take in some part-time work? I work evenings and weekends doing design freelancing and it really helps us cover food, bills and incidental costs.
Thanks for all the good tips. I should get some work over christmas from my old job but they keep promising hours when my DH is home but then nothing comes of it. I recently have been trained for kids fitness classes/baby yoga but I wont be starting it until the new year. I am also a freelance Makeup artist but most of my work is during summer
I should really check out my farmers markets I keep meaning to but forget will have to stick a post it on the front door. is it better to buy from your farmers market and butcher than the supermarket I always have an idea that butchers are more expensive....
Thanks for the great links and sorry for my mini vent just hate racking up the cards.
Hi, lurker here... There is also the Money Matters* board that could help you out. I'm not sure what the "culture" of the board is, but even just lurking might get you some ideas.
*https://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/4110110/ShowForum.aspx
I know power bills can be a huge financial weight, so I would definitely recommend working on shrinking your power needs. If you need to use heat/AC, keep it set above 75 in summer and below 70 in winter. In summer us fans to cool down and in winter try using a small space heater in the rooms that you're in at the time.
Plug electronics into power strips that can either be unplugged or turned off. This keeps you from using energy when your electronics are in standby.
As PP said, trying making your own cleaning products and laundry soap with baking soda, vinegar, and castile soap.
Also, be creative and find ways to reuse and repurpose things around your house.
Good luck, I hope this helps.