DIY: Compost Bin & Rain Barrel

It's almost that time of year...time to start seriously thinking about readying our soil for gardening, time to start planning our beds, time to start preparing for a beautiful summer of growing our own produce! We are planting our first vegetable garden in our backyard this year. My husband has already planned out the raised beds, and all we are waiting on is a nice, less windy weekend to get them built. We have our seed source ready, although we are waiting just a bit longer to order seeds. And we have located an organic farmer in our area who is more than willing to share his secrets and his soil with us. 


One thing we've been stumped on is compost. I had in my mind this dreamy compost pile. I scoured the internet for the kind of compost barrel that has its own platform and handle to easily stir the compost. Well, those unfortunately, cost anywhere from $250-$800! Not in the budget this year!


That's why I was relieved when we received this e-mail from Amanda:


I am an avid gardner and have just "discovered" some inexpensive ways to have the garden I have always wanted.

 

I recently made my own rain barrel and compost bin out of inexpensive trash cans. I have always wanted one of those nice compost bins where you add your materials and out comes beautiful compost, but they are so expensive and I thought I would never have one. While looking at some other gardening products, it struck me that surely I could make a composting bin myself for much less. I found a few videos demonsrating how to make a bin out of a trash can that cost around $20-$30. 

Simply drill some holes for air to circulate on the sides, top, and bottom. That's it! Add your kitchen scraps, old plants, and other materials to compost. Once a week, lay the bin on its side and roll around to turn the pile. In a few weeks you will have compost for your garden at the fraction of the cost of purchasing it or buying a premade compost bin. 

 

The same applies to a rain barrel. Why pay $150 for a rain barrel when for $20-$30 you can make one out of  a trash can? I simply set a trash can on some bricks and inserted a spigot near the bottom to attach a hose to or fill up my watering can. 

 

I hope this can help some others who love gardening but don't have the finances to get the fun stuff to help make gardening easier. 

Amanda, thank you for these useful and penny-wise tips! 

Written by Lindsey @ Penny-wise, Submitted by Amanda

When You're Out Of...

It's the perfect evening: the kids are happily entertaining themselves, Husband is sitting in his recliner, reading the newspaper, you're busily cooking a magnificent dinner. And then it happens. It almost always does. Your recipe calls for such-and-such, and low and behold, you're out of such-and-such. It would be ridiculous to make a quick trip to the store for that one ingredient, but you fear it might make or break your dish. So, you try to improvise. 

Hopefully, these substitutions from January's Real Simple will make your improv a lot more successful. 

When you're out of {blank} use {blank}...

Lemons------> use fresh lime juice or half the amount of white or red wine vinegar

Fresh Basil------> use slightly less fresh mint or fresh cilantro

Dry Bread Crumbs -----> use crushed cracker crumbs, cornflakes, or croutons

Chili Powder -----> use 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, 1/4 tsp. dried cumin, and a dash of bottled hot sauce (ie. Tabasco)

Kosher Salt-----> use fine table salt, substituting 1/2 to 3/4 the amount called for

Fresh Cilantro-----> use fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cheddar-----> use Colby, Monterey Jack, or American

Fresh Herbs-----> use the dried version, substituting 1/3 the amount called for

Nutmeg-----> use cinnamon, ginger, or allspice (for sweet, not savory, recipes)

Buttermilk-----> use 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar, plus enough milk to equal 1 cup; let it stand 5 minutes

Parmesan-----> use pecorino or Asiago

Thanks Real Simple for these great substitutions!

Submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

A Price Book

Keeping a price books seems like an idea that could be a real chore; however, they are a great way to track inflation, store prices, and see exactly where your money is going. Most importantly, they allow you to save money and still buy the things your family enjoys. I have kept a price book for some time now, and it has been a very useful tool for our family.

The Basics of Keeping a Price Book

First, begin by saving all your grocery store receipts, and I do mean all of them. Even if it's just a quick trip to buy a couple of items, save that receipt. Keep them in a handy location, such as an old shoe box. Collect about a month's worth of receipts before starting your book.

Once your receipts are collected, you can begin your price book. You should use a small binder that will be easy to carry with you into the stores. Remember you may want to add or remove pages later on, so choose your binder wisely.

Start a page for each major category of the grocery store: Produce, Meat, Dairy, Staples, Snacks, etc. You can add headings as needed. Your sheets should have columns so that you can compare prices from different stores. Your titles might be something like this: Store, Brand, Size, Unit Price, Sale Price and other things which might be helpful to you.

Next, put your receipts in date order and use them to start filling in the columns on your sheets. You'll soon see patterns in your shopping as well as where the best prices on certain items are found.

Take your book with you every time you visit the store. That way, you can quickly see if an item is being offered at its best price or not.

In the future, continue saving your shopping receipts and be sure to update your book on a regular basis. If you are consistent, you will soon see which stores have the best prices on items you buy. No store can offer low prices all of the time, but keeping a price book will keep you ahead of the game and make saving money a little easier. We can get confused and sometimes taken in by offers that seem to be bargains, but are often anything but that. Your price book will help you avoid that trap. Keeping a price book takes a little time and effort, but it will be worth it when you see that you're saving your hard-earned money.

Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

Penny Pinching: Adapting Recipes

Adapting your recipes is one easy way to pinch your pennies. Often, recipes call for ingredients which can be lessened or omitted without changing the texture or flavor of the dish. Here are a few ways you can save money by adapting your recipes. (Shhhh...if you don't tell your family, they probably won't even notice!)

1. Add beans to soups and stews. You can lessen the amount of meat a recipe calls for and add less expensive beans instead. You're still giving your family the protein and fiber they need without compromising their fullness (or your pocketbook).
2. Decrease the amount of meat in your dishes. For example, if you normally use a pound of ground beef, try using 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound instead.
3. Since you're using less meat, make up that quantity by adding extra veggies, brown rice, egg noodles, or beans (as mentioned in the first tip.
4. Use meat and poultry in casseroles, soups, stews, and stir-frys instead of as the "main dish". One chicken breast can stretch to feed a family of six by cutting it up and adding it to a casserole with vegetables, noodles, and cheese. Most "main dish" recipes call for one chicken breast per person, which is much more expensive.
5. Learn to make your own "cream of ..." soups instead of buying them canned. 
6. In many baked goods, milk can be replaced with water. Powdered milk is also less expensive than regular milk. Add flavor and sweetness to muffins and cookies by using juice.
7. Replace one egg with two tablespoons of water when baking.
8. Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes. You can usually cut the amount of sugar in half without compromising taste or texture. This is better for watching your waistline as well!
9. Don't let anything go to waste. Use your leftovers. Save leftover bits of meat or chicken to use in casseroles or soups. Veggies reaching their prime can be frozen to use later in a broth, stew, casserole, or soup. Don't throw away your fruit that's about to spoil; make a smoothie with it or freeze it to use in muffins later. Stale bread can be made into croutons, bread crumbs, and stuffings.

Remember: Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without!

Just a few more ways a little effort goes a long way...

Penny Pinching: at the Grocery Store

There's no question about it; food prices are on the rise. Now, more than ever, penny-pinching is necessary every time we make a trip to the grocery store. Here, many of our friends over at the Simply Charlotte Mason forum give us their money-saving tips.

*Please notice that this post is filled with links to helpful Websites, recipes and more. Simply click and a wealth of information is right there!

1. Use dry beans instead of canned in recipes calling for beans. Use our Basic Beans recipe to make it even easier!
2. Make your own pizza doughs, bread, and other baked goods rather than buying them. It takes a little extra time, but it's worth the savings!
3. Aim for one or two meat-less meals a week.
4. Shop only once or twice a month. More trips to the store means more money out of your pocket.
5. Try to find a food co-op. Some co-ops are national and will deliver to your area; others are local. We will post more information about co-ops as we research them.
6. Become friends with the produce manager at your grocery store. You may be able to score a deal on produce that is about to be thrown out or go bad. Many stores will also gives discounts for groups of people, so ask your friends if they'd be willing to go in with you on a large purchase.
7. Talk to the store manager at your grocery store about bulk discounts. Whole Foods, for example, gives a 5-10 percent discount when you buy bags of food in bulk.
8. Make your own cleaning products. We have already posted recipes for laundry detergent and stain removers. More homemade cleaning product recipes are on the way!
9. Try growing a garden. 
10. Shop at your local Farmer's Market. Use the Local Harvest Website to locate the Farmer's Market nearest you.
11. If you do have excess produce either from the store or from your garden, preserve it. A few options are canning, dehydrating, freezing, and fermenting.
12. Shop at a salvage or discount store, if there's one in your area. It's hit-and-miss with what you can find, so stock up when you do find something you use often, especially at the great salvage store prices.
13. Make large batches of pancakes and waffles and freeze them. This is much less expensive and much healthier than buying pre-made, boxed breakfast foods.
14. When an item you use regularly goes on sale, buy a bunch!
15. Stock your pantry with the basic items you use often. Shop from there before making a trip to the store. Try to make do with what you already have.
16. Take an inventory of your pantry to see what staples you need before going to the store. Or, keep a running list of needs posted on your fridge or pantry door. By doing this, you won't have to make extra trips to the store, only to spend more once you get there.
17. Try keeping a price book. List the items you use regularly (with the brand) and the price you normally pay at each store where you shop. You may also be able to find your items online for less than in the store. When do you find a good deal, again, stock up.
18. Remember to eat your leftovers. A small amount may not seem worth saving because it won't feed everyone in the family again; but it will feed a child the next day for lunch.
19. Shop seasonally and stock up. Turkey is cheaper around Thanksgiving. Baking supplies like flour, baking powder, and chocolate chips are less expensive around Christmas.
20. When buying meat, consider the price per meal instead of the price per recipe. For example, buying something with bones (like a whole chicken) will also yield a soup by making broth from the bones. Add that "extra" meal into your price consideration.
21. Replace boxed cereal with hot, cooked cereals like oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, and grits. Those are much less expensive per serving, and you'll get more servings out of a box of Cream of Wheat than a box of cereal. 
22. Replace the soda and juice in your cart with bottled water. Better yet, instead of buying bottles of water, try buying gallons of water. You can save the gallon containers and refill them from your own water purifier or from a water store where gallons of water cost anywhere from 25-60 cents each. Good for the wallet; good for the environment!

This is quite a list, yes? If you implemented one of these steps a week, there's no telling how much money you'd be saving six months from now! Let's think outside the box and start penny-pinching even more!

All tips submitted by various members of the SCM online forum.