Tag Archives: frugality

Our favorite articles about frugality, saving money & budgeting posted on TexasHomesteader.com

Homestead Hack: Repurposed Items As Plant Markers

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by Texas Homesteader ~
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Well, garden season is in full swing in NE Texas. It’s the season all gardeners have been dreaming about for weeks. Much work has gone into planning, seed-buying and dreaming.

One of the things I still needed for my garden was plant markers. I’d love to have an easy way to identify plants in their teeny-tiny stage as I’m strolling through the garden. But you know how strong my #UseWhatchaGot drive is!

 Thankfully I’ve found an easy way to repurpose items I already have in my home to use for the actual plant markers. Using these markers helps me to remember what I planted where without having to come inside & look it up. Check it out!

I've found a cute and easy way to repurpose an item I already have in my home to use as veggie plant markers in my vegetable garden. #TexasHomesteader Continue reading →

5 Frugal Things To Save Money This Week – Restaurant Meal, Window Repair, Metal Recycling

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by Texas Homesteader ~

I think it’s a beautiful thing that when I take steps to save money it almost always also has a positive environmental effect.  But it was a busy week for us and sometimes when life gets hectic I take shortcuts, which can have a negative effect on my environmental awareness as well as our budget.  But I think I did very well staying true to my environmental self as well as to our budget.  C’mon & see 5 things we did to save money (and the environment!) this week.

Sometimes when life gets hectic, shortcuts can have a negative effect on our budget. Come see what we did to save money this week! #TexasHomesteader

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Homestead Hack: Keep Wild Birds Away From Chicken Feed

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by Texas Homesteader ~

Y’all already know we split the garden area this year. About 40% of that area became the chicken ranging area and the other 60% remained my veggie garden, but more efficiently arranged. I love the symbiotic relationship of chickens/garden. I’m hoping the chickens will keep grass scratched away from the adjoining garden area to help me win the fight against Bermuda grass. And I know they will also eat all the bugs & grasshoppers coming toward my garden from their area. I can toss over grubs or produce that didn’t make it, and the hens provide me with fresh eggs. Win/Win!

I recently shared with you a low-waste chicken feeder RancherMan whipped up for me. While I love how much it reduces the chicken’s slinging it to the ground and wasting it, the wild birds were also loving the free open buffet. We’re feeding organic laying pellets, I certainly didn’t want to be feeding that to the birds! But oh we’ve discovered a secret – check out today’s Homestead Hack.

Check out this Homestead Hack - Sometimes it's true you can use low-tech methods to successfully address a problem. Love it! #TexasHomesteader

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Homestead Hack: Cleaner Vegetable Chopping

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Repurposing a plastic lid as a cutting board has a couple of benefits – using something I’ve already got handy and keeping those veggie juices corralled.

You know my battle cry: “Use Whatcha Got!”. Check it out, y’all!

This Homestead Hack has 2 benefits when chopping veggies - using something I've already got & keeping juices corralled. #TexasHomesteader

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Homestead Hack – Killing Weeds With Boiling Water

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Now that we have free-range hens again I’m using up those fresh eggs in many various ways. RancherMan loves for me to boil them up & have them for him in the fridge ready for a quick high-protein snack. And I’ve been making Egg Salad Sandwich Spread to replace his traditional purchased peanut butter sandwich preference for lunch.

Since I’ve found out how much healthier free-range eggs are compared to their commercial counterparts I find I’m always boiling eggs, (thankfully I found an easier way to peel those very-fresh eggs.)

But egg salad isn’t the only benefit of boiling up fresh eggs, I’m also killing weeds in the bricks of my sidewalk. How you say?

Y’all know my battle cry: “Use Whatcha Got!” This isn’t a new idea, but it’s a great one to keep in mind.

Killing weeds in the bricks of my sidewalk. Y'all know my battle cry: "Use Whatcha Got!" This isn't a new idea, but it's a great one #TexasHomesteader

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3 Simple Ingredients for Less Toxic Weed Control

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by Texas Homesteader ~

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There are a few sensitive areas on our Homestead where I refuse to spray toxic chemicals. Such places as the fence line around our vegetable garden, the chicken yard fence and around our beehives in the apiary.

But I still need a grass killer spray for those areas. Will I buckle and use grass killer spray?

Well, maybe I’ll just spray grass killer around the perimeter of the garden when needed.  Whaaaa….???!!!  Grass killer sprayed around our food??!!  Are you CRAZY??  Read on, dear friends…

A Non-Toxic weed killer in the garden! I wonder if I can use a less toxic grass & weed control... As it turns out, YES! #TexasHomesteader

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