I've been a member for a little while, not really THAT long but a while, I am a bad lurker though. I read almost all of the new posts in the Thrifty forum. I end up reading a lot. You all inspire me to work harder to be the person I want to be. I'm trying desperately to get my family from a not-so-normal suburban life, to a country-down-home-granola-loving life. Kwim? I was wondering if you have any suggestions, as I'm just getting started in my journey to a peaceful, simple and self sufficient family.
I'm trying to figure out how to cut down on grocery/food bills but also to eat healthy. I couldn't do a garden this year, but I will next year, certainly! I can't wait! But it's hard to eat healthy and cheap when you don't have the option of growing your own - kwim? Any suggestions?
Next question - I work full time as a business owner and I don't have a lot of time at all. I've got 4 girls, which means a LOT of clothes. I probably end up doing at least 8 loads of laundry on the weekends and there is so much throughout the week that it's just too hard to keep up. Many times I don't even manage to get everything put away before the next weekend full of clothes is sitting on the floor in front of me! lol
Suggestions for this problem?
Ok everyone, slap me in the face with the obvious - I'm sure it'll be obvious to me after I read your replies, until then - I'm clueless and SO overwhelmed!

My first bit of advice is that it's a long journey, just take it one step at a time, and look at living life deliberately overall...I feel like in the past year I've made these huge strides, but that the six years before that were all building up to this - I had my first garden this summer, and it was a small one. :)

Laundry. I am going to pass on the wise words of naturalmama/Aileen - I love her idea and it's worked great for me. Everyone has their own laundry hamper, so each person's laundry gets washed in its own load when the hamper is full. This was quite revolutionary for me - I used to sort whites/darks and wash all our clothes together and I spent a lot more time sorting and folding. I would also recommend doing one load each evening, if you can, rather than waiting for the weekends and doing massive numbers of washloads. Maybe put it in as you start dinner, reboot to the dryer after dinner, fold and put away in the evenings? Or whatever works for you. We only have four or five loads a week, so I tend to do it over two days - two loads a day - plus another odd load here or there when towels are icky - which is easy compared to what you have in terms of volume!

So I guess I'm wondering if there is a way to cut down each person's amount of clothes to where they generate a load of laundry a week? I can't really imagine wearing a whole lot more clothes than that. One way we cut down is by getting rid of lots of clothes. When all your clothes don't exceed a washer full by much, you tend to wash one load and have it dried and put away pretty quickly.

My final thought is, how old are your girls? Old enough to be doing their own laundry? ;) Definitely hand at least part of this job off to them - it will help you so much and they should be pitching in.


Good luck, and I am tired so I hope this doesn't come off sounding like a "laundry lecture" or anything! I just want to help...I felt much the same way a couple of years ago. It's taken me a while to get to where the laundry isn't an issue at all - but I finally have! I never thought I would say that. But it was the suggestions and advice of mamas here that helped me, and I'm happy to pass them on. :)

Great post Lauren! Alex is finally old enough to help a lot with his own clothes and that has helped on the work SO MUCH! Cyan puts hers away, but Alex actually folds his too.

Another thing I thought of while reading your post is to think of each place you go to and change it to be as natural as you want. I live in a sub, but I still have a huge and beautiful garden, lined with rocks and all my trellis are sticks and most of my decorations make me the hippie on the block but it works for me. I brought the life I eventually wanted to have to me, instead of waiting for the perfect place to make it. YK?

I would also talk to the girls about 10 outfits a peice. I am just starting this program with my kids, and some of their clothes are falling through the cracks, (because I LOVE clothes), but most of their clothes are used biweekly now, so I know what they love, and it is much easier to get them dressed before school and such.

Val

I too have learned from other posters on this fourm to cut down on clothes. I have only 10 outfits for each of my boys.

I am teaching them to do laundry and they are only four. They will carry the family basket to the washer, sort the clothes and put them in the washer (all under supervison of course, but I am having a baby in three months via c-section and won't be able to lift things for a while- thus my need to teach them).

I fold the clothes and then I give them thier stacks to put away. They have stacking plastic baskets in their room which makes it easier for them to get the things in and out.

As for food, there as several good threads on here if you do a search, but real quick, I find making a menu and a shopping list really helps!

Tawnya

The only thing I really need to figure out now is the grocery bill! How in the world can I afford to feed a family of 6 on organic/all natural foods without having my own garden, and without going broke! lol

Any suggestions on that one? :)

Again, thanks so much!