October 22, 2012

Homemade Clay Toothpaste

Homemade clay toothpaste recipe

Cleaning your teeth with dirt sounds pretty oxymoronic, right? You might be surprised to know that clay toothpaste actually leaves your teeth feeling very clean. One of the things I like best about it is that it doesn't contain glycerin, which doesn't clean but actually coats your teeth. This coating, while it may sound like a good thing, prevents teeth from being able to remineralize and can actually weaken teeth over time. Many of us have gotten off of conventional brands of toothpaste and switched [...]

Filed Under: Frugality, Homemade, Homemade skincare and beauty, Living healthy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , 107 Comments
October 4, 2012

Homemade Laundry Powder: 3 Ingredients. 10 Minutes.

homemade laundry powder pic with text

I've been making a lot of my own cleaning and beauty products over the years, but for some reason, laundry detergent is one that I haven't given a try until now. Now that I know how easy and inexpensive it is to make, I probably won't be going back! This recipe actually comes from a good friend of mine. Renee and her family have lived overseas as missionaries for years and hope to be back on the field in the near future, so she's always [...]

Filed Under: Frugality, Homemade, Non-toxic cleaning Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , 158 Comments
September 21, 2012

A Day in the Life: Diana (Real Food Mama Shopping for the Healthiest Food at the Lowest Prices)

milk

Written by Diana, Contributing Writer I don't know about you, but these past few years have been the most challenging, economically, for my family. When my husband and I had our first child six years ago, we made the decision to sacrifice my career in favor of raising our children at home. Three children later, it's been an up and down struggle, but through every situation God has provided for all of our needs. What's been truly amazing is witnessing how our dependance on Him strengthens my [...]

Filed Under: Frugality, Real, whole food Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 63 Comments
August 24, 2012

Freezing and Using Up an Abundance of Peppers

freezing and using up peppers

Written by Erin Odom, Contributing Writer I don't pretend to be a master gardener. In fact, my thumb is more black than green. But one vegetable that always seems to flourish in my garden is the pepper. And, despite my limited abilities, my family always ends up with an abundance of them! Thankfully, peppers freeze extremely well, and there are lots of great recipes that call for peppers that you can implement in your kitchen all year round. Health Benefits of Peppers Besides being fairly easy [...]

Filed Under: Frugality, Gardening, Preserving Food, Seasonal eating Tagged With: , , , , , , , 14 Comments
August 17, 2012

5 Frugal Ways to Stock Up on Chemical Free Fruits and Vegetables to Preserve

vegetables

Written by Diana, Contributing Writer Just like clockwork, late summer comes knocking with an explosion of fresh vegetables. This is a typical late summer harvest at my urban homestead.  I do my best to use as much as I can in dishes and the rest I try to put up for the winter. Jars of salsa, enchilada sauce, peppers, and relish line my pantries while I wait to soon be inundated by apples, pears, and grapes. I'm blessed to have most of what I preserve [...]

Filed Under: Frugality, Preserving Food, Real, whole food Tagged With: , , , , , , , 25 Comments
August 2, 2012

It’s Not Your Money, Is It?

Crying baby

Written by Stacy Myers, Contributing Writer A while back, there was this strangely annoying commercial on television for JG Wentworth. It’s a bunch of adults yelling out their windows about THEIR money. While the normal person would just find this commercial extremely dumb, I found it very bothersome. When I heard my pastor mention the commercial in one of his sermons about stewardship and giving, I really started thinking. The sad thing is this MY MONEY mindset is very prevalent today. Most of us consider [...]

Filed Under: Budgeting, Faith and encouragement, Good stewardship Tagged With: , , , , 53 Comments
June 27, 2012

Having Vegetables When You Can’t Grow Your Own

Vegetable Basket

Written by Stacy Myers, Guest Writer I’m a country girl, born and raised on a farm in Virginia. My parents are excellent at growing a garden. I never remember a summer without having something to preserve, even if it was a “bad year.” I’ll admit I took it for granted. I grew up and got married and discovered something. My parents did not pass their growing gene on to their oldest daughter. I have what my husband commonly refers to as The Black Thumb of [...]

Filed Under: Frugality, Real, whole food Tagged With: , , , , , 24 Comments
June 22, 2012

The Benefits of Eating Down the Pantry

Steak and Chick Pea Salad

Written by guest writer Jessica Fisher of Life as Mom and Good, Cheap Eats. When I was a young newlywed, I cooked almost every day.  I planned meals once a week. I shopped regularly, if not daily. I also spent enough to feed a small country. In fact, in 1994 I spent more on groceries for two people and occasional guests as I did in 2006 to feed a family with five children! One of the causes of my overspending was that I bought whatever [...]

Filed Under: Frugality Tagged With: , , 37 Comments