We have made a lot of small changes in our lifestyle over the last two years or so. At the time, it doesn’t seem like much of a big deal but then six months pass and you realize how much your routine has changed. One of our big overall goals is to buy less pre-packaged items and make our own as much as possible. While we do have to buy the whole foods to then process ourselves (for no man is an island!), there are several things I realized that I stopped buying at the store all together.Instead, we make it ourselves and end up with a superior food for less money.
Many people argue that the prices you pay at the grocery store are for the convenience of not having to make it yourself from scratch. In some ways they would be right but honestly, I’d just be sitting on my duff watching TV and being a ‘zombie’ like the majority of Americans. I prefer to be productive and would rather spend 2 hours making up some tasty food and preserving it than watching “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” and have the intelligence sucked out of my brain. We work every day to be more self sufficient and produce (or learn how to) as much of our needs as possible.
- Crackers – Crackers were one of the first things I decided I would no longer buy. It is incredible how many crackers you can make out of one cup of flour! That cup of flour (with other ingredients) was enough for 4 people to eat stew with and no one was left wanting. We have enjoyed plain whole wheat or white flour crackers but the real fun is when you add in spices to compliment the meal. One of our favorites is the garlic/oregano crackers but I have also made them with garlic, onion, and basil mixed in. Pepper crackers were kind of a fun twist but it is easy to go overboard on the pepper. One of my most popular posts to date, How To Make Crackers in 20 Minutes, will show you how to make your own, too!
- Leafy Spices – I got sick of paying such sky-high prices for seasonings on the island so I decided to start growing my own in the kitchen window. Thankfully, most herbs grow easily and are not too difficult to keep going. In a few short months, you can dehydrate your own stock of herbs and spices. To date, we have grown basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and cilantro. I got the seeds for all of them in one handy container, organic and well sealed from an American company! I am hoping to be able to buy an Aero Garden in the near future so I can grow larger stocks in a shorter amount of time.
- Jams and Jellies – It has been well over a year since we bought any jams or jellies from the store. Here in Southeast Alaska, we have several wild berries to choose from such as blueberries, huckleberries, and salmonberries. There is also rhubarb that has gone wild in several places on the island and, if you know where to look, wild strawberries. All of these combined with some sugar and pectin (if desired) make for some exceptionally tasty jams and jellies at a fraction of the price.
- Stock – We use a LOT of stock in the winter for making soups, stews, and chili. I have been making my own vegetable stock from the scraps that most people would throw away. I do not use any spices or salt: it is merely vegetable water that is boiled twice and water bath canned. On that alone, we have saved at least $100 over the last two years and the cooked veggie scraps are used again when they go into the compost pile. Talk about stretching your food! For any stock that has meat in it, you absolutely must pressure can it to ensure the bacteria is killed off and the stock sealed for it to be safe. If you ever have a question about whether something is actually sealed, don’t risk it.
- Wheat Flour – We love to make bread, crackers, dumplings, and other tasty bread-type treats. Instead of buying wheat flour that has been fortified and processed, or spending more on ‘organic’ wheat flour, we just grind our own wheat berries. Economically speaking, it is far less expensive to grind up wheat berries than it is to buy bags of wheat flour. You also end up with a superior, fresher ingredient to work with.
- Soups and stews – This one is taken with a small grain of salt. While it is true that we make and jar our own soups and stews, even making stew starters, there are certain times when I will buy a can or two for cooking purposes (like cream of mushroom for example). Overall though, I make up a huge pot for dinner and pressure can the leftovers to be enjoyed later. It is kind of cool to bring your lunch to work in a jar.
- Canned Meat – We buy our meat during the big sales twice a year. I vacuum seal it using our trusty FoodSaver Gamer Saver Silver model and put it in the freezer with dates. Any food that is nearing the one year mark (even though it is still perfectly good), I will take it out, thaw it and then jar it up into my own jars of canned meat. We buy beef, chicken, and pork but I also jar up venison and smoked salmon. Water bath canning and pressure canning are safe, easy to do and more rewarding than you can imagine! (If there is meat involved, even cooked, it MUST be pressure canned. No exceptions!) Plus, you take control over your food by creating shelf stable resources to both make a very fast but nutritious meal AND in the event of a disaster, still be able to feed your family.
- Laundry Soap – This, in particular, makes me feel like a domestic goddess. How would you like to do about 600 loads of laundry for around $25? That’s right: 600+ loads for $25 or less. By making your own, YOU determine how harsh or soft the detergent is. YOU decide if it smells strong or very light. I wrote about my experiment and results for you to check out, too!
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This is so easy, it is probably illegal in 5 states. 😉 We do not use it often but I was making applesauce and wanted to see what I could do with the scraps. I went researching and ended up trying my hand at it. It turned out wonderful and I wrote all about the experience and process.
- Bread – This is the one we struggle with a little. Making bread isn’t “hard” per se, but it is time consuming. There is absolutely nothing that can compare to fresh wheat bread, made from scratch (and freshly ground wheat flour) still hot out of the oven. Add some butter or honey (or both) and you have a veritable food-gasm going on. No, really: think about the scent of freshly baked bread and then try to convince me that you don’t like it. Anyway, we will slip now and then and buy a couple loaves of store bought bread since it is Mister Dreamer who does the bread making in the house. We hope to get a bread maker for Christmas but even if we don’t, we know how to make it by hand, from scratch and that is a lot more than many people can claim.
Learn a new skill in a single afternoon and MAKE YOUR OWN PICKLES!
Since the great majority of homesteading revolves around food: The growing, harvesting, and storing of it, I decided to focus a lot of my efforts there and learn how to make my own. It is much easier to learn and practice one at a time and then implement it into your normal cooking practices. By doing it that way, it isn’t as overwhelming and allows time for you to experiment until you feel comfortable. In fact, this post was originally “5 Things I Stopped Buying at the Store,” but I kept thinking of more and more items we have stopped buying. Needless to say, I kind of feel like a super hero at the accomplishments we have made in such a short time and I learned it all online. The best part about all of it is YOU CAN TOO!
I also don’t buy toothpaste or shampoo or creme rinse. I make my own. I never buy crackers and the rest of your list matches mine of what I don’t buy also. It feels great to be able to do these things on our own.
Thank you for the comment! I agree, it does feel good to make it yourself. I don’t do the toothpaste or shampoo yet but I want to make a few batches for emergency purposes and to learn (or at least be exposed to) the process. It is a valuable skill to have!!
Recipe for shampoo and conditioner, please and thank you!
Hello Cyndi! I have not gotten into making those myself so am unable to really help BUT, I did check out some sites I follow and found one that I think would be suitable. I actually might try it myself! I wasn’t able to find much about needing conditioner and there is a reason for it. Store bought shampoo completely strips all of your natural oils from your hair with the chemicals. You NEED the conditioner to put it back and make the hair soft. With making your own shampoo, you aren’t removing all of the natural oils, you are just getting the grime and whatnot off your scalp and hair (without stripping it down). Here is the link! http://thehomesteadinghippy.com/how-to-make-homemade-shampoo/
I do “no poo shampoo” basically I mix a tsp baking soda with warm water to wash my hair with and my conditioner is 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar mixed with about cp warm water …. and no you will not smell like a pickle lol… the vinegar odor goes away when hair is dry … also doing this you won’t need to wash as often (my hair is to my waist and unless I get sweaty or something I can go a few days between washing – longest was a week ) I do however rinse with vinegar if I don’t wash hair when I shower … anyway there is a VERY simple way to wash hair … remember you MUST rinse with vinegar after baking soda wash though as the baking soda will strip hair product and oils out and the vinegar helps balance the PH back … at least that is my understanding – I just know i can’t comb my hair without the vinegar lol…
I have heard about the ‘no poo’ method of dealing with your hair a few times. I am not personally interested in doing it but I do have the knowledge tucked away for when/if I ever run out completely and can’t buy more shampoo and conditioner. I only wash my hair 3x a week anyway (unless I have been sweating a lot of course) so a bottle lasts a LONG time! Thank you for the comment and telling us about it though. I think it is a great idea and makes sense. I’m just not ready to go quite that far….yet 😉
I haven’t used shampoo in over 2 years. One tbsp of baking soda in one cup of warm water does the trick. Concentrate on your scalp, massaging well. Rinse well. I mix it up in a plastic squeeze bottle for easy application. My hair is soft and shiny.
My hairdresser was amazed when I told her what I was doing. She said my hair was great and passed the “recipe” along to one of her clients who had struggled for years with scalp issues. He tried it and finally got relief from his condition.
If I feel the need for a conditioner, I mix up 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar in 1 cup of warm water and work it into my hair. Any vinegar smell dissipates quickly and I’ve had no comments or complaints about smelling like a chip wagon. 🙂
I use a bought shampoo bar, made by Camamu Soaps. It is Rosemary Nettle, two great herbs that are wonderful for hair. One bar will last me FOREVER!!! I used to have to shampoo daily, or my hair would become so greasy. After changing my diet to exclude ALL prepared foods, using organic and adding lots of organic coconut oil in my diet, I can now only shampoo every two days, or maybe even three without it looking horrible.
Sometimes, I just wet my hair, scrub a bit and then use the rinse. You can also use ACV for a shampoo, letting it sit on the hair for a few minutes, scrub and then rinse. I would NOT use baking soda as a shampoo regularly, it is not good for long term use as it depletes the hair of needed oils.
I make my own rinse making a VERY strong tea of rosemary, nettle and horsetail, all of which are great for hair growth and health. To this, I add about 1/2 the same amount of organic raw apple cider vinegar and use that to rinse my hair. It has never looked or felt better. I sometimes leave out the ACV, and just use the herbal rinse, and leave it in. (you shouldn’t leave ACV in due to it’s high acidity, it wouldn’t be good for your hair).I drink the tea, too, because these herbs are also great for drinking and help aid in the health of the hair.
The voice of experience! Thank you for the input, Carol! As I said before, this is one area that I don’t really know much about (yet) but it is on the list of new skills to learn and use!
I have used Ivory soap bar instead of shampoo and followed with a vinegar rinse to make hair shiny. Works very well!
I was going through your list and as I read, I am only lacking on the knowledge for home made laundry soap. I just don’t want to make it in a 5 gallon bucket. With just the two of us, a batch would last forever and it is not THAT expensive…. Great article.
I buy meat like you and vacuum seal it or grind it for hamburger myself and freeze it in 1 lb packages. We have raised our own beef over the past 10 years and enjoy reaping the bounties of our labor.
Chickens-Home gown Cornish Cross is the way to go. Don’t have any problem harvesting almost everything from them to include tons of stock that I can. for plucking chores, I really recommend the Whiz Bang Chicken Plucker. (google it). We can do about a 100 chickens in about 8 hours.
Dog Food-We grind up and can the chicken guts for the dogs. They really like it and I am sure it is so much better for them than the cans of Alpo at the store. I save some of the beef scraps and include this in the dog food mixture.
Eggs-Haven’t bought any of those for about ten years either. My parents say I spend more on chicken food than the cost of eggs in the store, but they won’t turn down any free eggs when I come home. You can’t beat home grown. I grind my own food most of the time if the ingrediants are available and I have the time.
It really isn’t about the COST of laundry detergent, it is more what is in or NOT in it! Homemade laundry soap has usually four ingredients: borax, washing soda, grated soap or liquid soap, and water. Commercial DETERGENTS are full of toxic ingredients that are bad for you, your clothing and the environment.
You could always adjust the recipe to make a smaller amount!
Very true!
We don’t make our laundry soap in a 5 gallon bucket. We use a half gallon jug at a time. So much easier!
I just make a powder that is borax, washing soda, and fels naptha – 1 part each then a table spoon per load (or 2Tbl if it’s hubby’s work clothes.)
Great article! I have a recipe you might be interested in to make bread making faster and easier. http://www.itsamomblog.com/2013/04/40-minute-soft-wheat-hamburger-buns.html
Tried your crackers for the first time last night with chili. ..Awesome I was impressed..thanks for sharing…
Thanks for the comment Reba!! I am really glad you liked it. I hope you found it easy to make, too! Did you add any spices to it?
Thank You so much for putting those ideas in my head. You know, we just plow along daily without giving it a thought.
You are very welcome! It is easy to never even think about questioning any of it. Took me awhile, too! Thanks for the comment!
Do you have a recipe for your wheat bread? I have yet to find one that turns out good.
Thank you
My husband just uses one out of Better Homes and Garden’s big cookbook. I think a lot of it is the way he does it. I could be wrong though! Thank you for the comment, sorry I couldn’t help better, Meagan!
I’ve not purchased any cream of… Soups in 6 years. I make a white sauce from butter/flour/broth.,
THANK YOU for the inspiration! I am going to add that to my list to learn!
I haven’t tried laundry detergent yet, but I am learning to make my own cheeses. So far, I can make Mozzarella, Ricotta, and Colby. Next on the list is pepper jack and cheddar. Yum. I will have to make some of your crackers to go with them.
HAHAHA! I was just thinking, “I will make the crackers, she makes the cheese and then all we need is some wine!” Making cheese is something I will be diving into at some point this year, too. I am excited to try it. For now, I buy the cheese at the store but then I SMOKE the cheese to make super tasty treats!
How about refried beans?
Thanks for the comment Julie! We DO make our own refried beans. I even dehydrate them and package them up for use later down the road like a camping trip or something. There are more than 10 items I make instead of buy but I figured if I included them all, the list would be too long! 😉
I appreciate the blarg. Until the world ends, my time is worth money. To make my own crackers would cost me over$50. I think I would rather buy them on sale for $.50. Same with the other products. I am thankful for your ideas, and will refer back here when I dont have a job, and the apocalypse has happened. But then again, I wont be able to come back to this site, because I’m sure there wont be any internet
We don’t buy yogurt, ice cream, peanut butter, croutons, bread crumbs, tomato sauce, or spice blends. I love homemade crackers, but I’m a lazy cook and they take time. Maybe this post will inspire me to get back at it. I do cheat and use a breadmaker, yogurt maker, and ice cream maker, but even with the initial investment, I know I’m still saving money but more importantly, I know what we’re eating. Bonus that making any of these things myself will taste infinitely better, too.
I’d love to start grinding my own flour, but can’t find an affordable contraption to do it with. Someday….
Thanks for the comment! All you have mentioned are things we want to either start or perfect our previous efforts. I can relate to the lack of money for the tools but consider going for a hand-crank grinder. It will cost considerably less than an electric one and still work when the power is out! 😉
Yes, the food does taste incredibly better than store bought. My husband and I were talking about how we can taste chemicals in some of the boxed stuff when we get particularly lazy on cooking. It was so bad last time that I never bothered to put it on the shopping list to replace!
would love your recipe for crackers. would be fun to try. love to can. we have raised beds and it is amazing how much I can out of them. don’t make my own laundry detergent. have a HE washer and I am afraid to do this but I do make my own cleaning products. white viniger for everything. loved your article
Laverne! Thanks for the comment. I can do one better for you. If you hover over the cracker area, there is a link that will take you to the infographic I wrote about making crackers. You can print it off and go to town! Super easy, especially one of your skill set.
If you also check out the article I have on making the laundry soap and click to the post where I learned about it, you will see that the person who made the recipe also has an HE washer! Win win!
I make my own brown sugar. 1-2 tbs blackstrap molasses, 1 c sugar. Mix.
make sourdough bread. it takes no time, especially if you don’t knead, i had to give up on that because of pain. i spent literally 5 minutes on my bread. the rest of the time it justs sits and ferments.
I make soaps, lotions, and all sorts of personal hygiene and beauty products. I see now that I am never going to get rich off it, but I will never to back to the harsh soaps that come from the store. And I am very popular with friends and family now…they all love the products I make for them.
I will be getting into soap making this year! I agree, you will never get rich off it but having the skill to make soap is extremely valuable (and make you the family hero haha!). Thanks for the comment!
Hi I would like to start out by thanking you for a great article, I would like to point out the part about homemade laundry “detergent”. The ingredients you have listed are mostly laundry boosters and water softners. The Dawn or liquid dish soap is a de greaser and will strip the washing machine parts and cause damage to the machine itself. It specifically is NOT recommended to be used in modern day washing machines. You actually have no detergents listed in your recipe that will clean the clothes and will cause bacterial and soap buildup in clothes. If you would like more information with proof of why it doesnt work please visit. While I realize this site was started and based for cloth diapers the same applies for regular clothing. Laundry detergent is specifically designed to clean and rinse out of clothes and soap is not.
Please don’t take offense of this comment I’m just trying to help and don’t mean to offend anyone.
http://www.fluffloveuniversity.com/cloth-diaper-myths/the-bad-the-worse-and-the-ugly-why-we-dont-use-homemade-detergents/
Not offended at all. I am leaving it up because I believe that so long as people aren’t being jerks, views and opinions opposite of my own are not a bad thing and everyone should have a voice. I do want to point out a couple things though.
First, the article you point to is another much like my own. They have their views as I have mine. They are no authority and neither am I. That being said, making your own detergent or washing suds is something lots of people do (and have for a long time) and if there was some serious issue with it and ruining machines, it would be more prevalent. There would be more information about the damage it causes. Another person also commented on this post just before you saying they have been using it for years and years with no issue. I, too, have been using it for at least 18 months and have had no issues either. My clothes are clean, stains and grease are gone, and the machines are running just fine. The lady I got the recipe from has used this mixture in her HE washer for years now, also with no issues.
Information and differing viewpoints is how we all learn and grow. I will leave this additional information up in case people want to research more into it and make a more informed decision. 🙂
You have some great ideas.
I recently got a Zojirusihi Virtuoso Bread Machine, it is fantastic. It is expensive but well worth the price. I’ve had it a couple of months, several loaves of bread and a couple of cakes later I am still so pleased with it. It also has a gluten free bread cycle and many more perks. I make my own yogurt(in my Cuisinart Yogurt Maker), vanilla extract and what ever else I can think of, trying to get away from GMO and processed food.
I got an AeroGarden 11 days ago, 8 out of 9 of the pods have sprouted, I am truly a happy camper. Give all of the above machines a try, I’m sure you will be as pleased as I am.
Terri
While the machines are awesome, I feel that the real payoff is the skill to do it yourself, from scratch. If all you used were those machines, you wouldn’t really know how to make the food. It is also a wee bit against the savings part of doing it yourself. Don’t get me wrong, we have a bread maker, too (it was a gift) and we use it but we also learned how to do it ourselves really well before it came along. My hubby is the bread maker in the family. 🙂
I have really bad arthritis in my shoulders and I can’t knead like I used to .
: (
Love your article; so inspiring. I began making my own roasted red pepper hummus, which is delicious, and then I began making my own tahini, which is used in the hummus recipe, and it’s all so much more economical and tastier than store-bought, and is actually quick and easy to do.
You have already begun! Learning to make your own favorite foods from scratch is where it begins. Well, and an eye for making sure you get the most out of your food with as little waste as possible. When we get chickens, we will have much less waste. I can’t wait! Thank you for the comment and sharing about your adventures in being more self reliant!