Tag Archives: frugality

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

Grocery No-Spend Challenge: FINAL WEEK!!

by Texas Homesteader~
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WHEW, what a month it’s been! Y’all know RancherMan & I embarked on an entire month-long Grocery No-Spend Challenge. It was a rigid challenge, allowing for no purchases whatsoever on anything grocery related which included dining out, beverages and herbs, etc.

Week One wasn’t bad at all. Our pantry & freezers were full so there really wasn’t much change to our routines.

Week Two had a few catches but it was still easily workable.

By the time we got to Week Three was a little more of a challenge and we had to make several compromises. But by then I’d pretty much hit my stride. Plus we had our eye on the end of the month, so our motivation was still pretty high which helped a lot.

But how about that last week? Read on, dear friends.

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Grocery No-Spend Challenge: WEEK 3!

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by Texas Homesteader ~

WHEW – things are getting interesting! RancherMan & I have embarked on a month-long grocery no-spend challenge.

Although we didn’t purposely stock up before this challenge (which to me would have defeated the purpose) we did start out with healthy & overflowing pantry & freezers.

Week One was a breeze, no real changes necessary except that I had to start making lots of homemade bread. Then Week Two was a little bit more of a challenge, but still doable.

But now the pantry is getting more & more bare & the freezers are emptying out nicely. How did we fare for week three? Read on, dear friends.

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Grocery No-Spend Challenge: Week 2

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by Texas Homesteader

Ok y’all, we’re still trucking along with this grocery no-spend challenge where we’ve agreed not to spend any money on food of any type (except Valentine’s Day) for the entire month of February.

That includes fresh foods such as milk, fruits & veggies. (although we may tweak this as the challenge goes on) It also includes soft drinks & juices, spices, eating out, etc.

Week one went without a hitch since our freezers and pantry were well-stocked with food to start with. But what about week 2? Were there any hitches? How much discomfort? What have we learned? Read on…

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Homemade Bread-Making Shortcuts – Less Work, Less Cleanup

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by Texas Homesteader ~

I bake LOTS of homemade bread whether in the oven or using a bread maker.

But I’ve incorporated many bread-making shortcuts so I’m not starting over every day. This speeds along my bread baking day with less effort. Come see my shortcut tips!

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Smooth Spreadable No-Cook Chocolate Frosting Recipe

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by Texas Homesteader ~

My smooth spreadable no-cook chocolate frosting takes less than two minutes to make. Plus it uses only simple standard ingredients always in my pantry.

Oh YES I DID!!

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Saving Money In The New Year

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by Texas Homesteader ~
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Many people aspire to improve things at the beginning of the year. They may look at aspects of the prior year and vow to do better this year.

Of course this often includes becoming physically healthier or learning a new skill. Or it could be to reach for a more fulfilling job or even to make the plunge into self employment.

But almost always there’s a critical eye cast on our finances from the previous 365. Questions bounce in our heads “How could I do better this year? Save more? Spend less? Be more mindful with my hard-earned dollars?”