My topic today is about the simple things I do to be more economical and less wasteful.  Having to live off of one income has been somewhat a challenge of its own, so I’ve learned to be creative and figure out practical tasks I could use every day to save money and you can do these too!

Cloth diapering

It has been months since I’ve bought any disposable diapers for my daughter.  We were spending around $50-$70 a month on disposable diapers alone!  Now, I know what you’re thinking when you see “cloth diapering” in the title. Well I’m here to tell you that cloth diapers have come a long way since your grandmother’s day. Modern cloth diapers are super easy to use and not as complex as you may think.  I do laundry every other day, anyway, so it’s no bother to throw a load in that often.

Homemade baby food

It was costing me about $5-$10 dollars a day to feed my daughter store-bought baby food, (yes, she’s a little big eater).   I asked for a Baby Bullet to be gifted to me at my shower.  I absolutely love it! I can buy huge bags of frozen veggies and fruit to make about 2 weeks’ worth of baby food  for around $20-$30!  Now that she’s 10 months, I can also just grind up the food I made for supper and feed it to her.  Breastfeeding has also been successful in cutting costs. I couldn’t imagine spending all that money on formula again (my son was formula fed.)

Make your own cleaning products

I’ve started making my own dryer sheets, kitchen surface cleaner, and carpet deodorizer. Let me tell you something; I have found that making my own cleaning products has cut our costs by quite a bit and in my humble opinion, they work better! Plus you don’t get those nasty chemicals that are in store bought cleaners.

Ditch the paper towels

Now before I begin, I do keep paper towels and napkins in case company shows up. But on a day-to-day basis, we use cloth towels! All I did was buy flour sack towels, (they’re great for cloth diapering, too!)  Cut them into quarters, sew the ends, and viola! Cloth towels I just throw them into the whites to wash. Super easy, less wasteful, and they even work better for big messes.

Essential oils

For internal consumption, I use DoTerra oils, but for cleaning, diffusing, and topical uses, I use Eden’s Garden. They are my all time favorite brand for so many reasons. The price is great and the quality is exceptional.  I use my oils every day and usually have to refill one bottle a month to keep up my stash.  Headache? Peppermint and lavender oil.  Feeling exhausted? Ylang ylang and grapefruit will most definitely aid in cheering you up. Tummy ache?  DoTerra’s Digestzen will work magic, trust me!

There are many simple, easy, and creative ideas you can use to save money and these are just a few that I use.  Please leave a comment and tell me what ways you save money and how it works for you!

-From love, Christa.

This is a picture of my daughter in her Bum Genius cloth diapers and the organic wood and cotton teething/breastfeeding necklace I made. If you can’t tell, she loves those two fingers!