Lots of times we make life crazy and complicated with our schedules and spending habits. Who wouldn’t love to go back to the “old fashioned” way of life and live more simple? I’ve put together ways you can save money by living in the past.

• Make your bread from scratch – this is something I’ve grown to love the more I do it. I have a bread machine I use which makes it super simple but I do love baking it in the oven to. One tip I’ve learned is the bread is easier to slice once it’s sat in the fridge overnight.
• Mend your own clothing – From putting a button back on to hemming up some pants this is a great way to save yourself from having to buy new clothing.
• Cook from scratch – not always the easiest for me but I do find it’s a lot cheaper to create our meals from scratch.
• Learn how to grow a garden – some years are better than others but it’s nice to enjoy the fruits of your labor when creating a garden.
• Learn to can your garden – My mom was a great teacher and example to me when it comes to canning. There’s more I’d like to learn but the basics are easy, I know you can do it too.
• Use cloth instead of paper towels/napkins – I’m not one to want to add more laundry but just to throw a couple extra napkins in the wash shouldn’t be too bad right?
• Keep your paper to use as scratch – If you have kids like mine they’re always asking for paper to create different drawing and projects with. I have a pile of paper they are welcome to grab from with printing mess ups, scraps from other projects, etc.
• Drink water instead of soda/juice – If you drink just 2 soda’s a day and say you buy them on sale for $.25 each you’re paying $3.50 a week in soda! That’s $182.50 a year for the 2 sodas a day!
• Make your own cleaning supplies – I love using baking soda and vinegar to clean a lot of my house and I make my kids their own spray bottle with vinegar and lemon oil inside to clean the mirror, walls, counters and more with! It’s safe and super cheap!
• Make your own laundry detergent – I’ll admit I’ve done this in the past but it became too much work for me and I haven’t in a while. But there’s some great recipes online you could try!
• Cook dried beans – Purchase a bag of dried beans for super cheap. Then cook them in your crock pot or let them sit overnight. This will save you from purchasing the cans that can add up in cost.
• Eat simple meals – don’t go Pinterest crazy with your meals. Sometimes the basics are less stressful and cost efficient.
• Downsize to a smaller house – Be sure you do your research first. Right now with the market the way it is, it might not be a good time to downsize. But keep your options open and look into it.
• Bake your own cakes – I never buy store bought cakes anymore! I’ll create ours from scratch and add cute cake toppers for the theme the kids have chosen.
• Line dry your clothing – You can create a clothing line with just some string. Run the line across your fence or use the playset.
• Try walking to your destinations – I can’t believe how much gas prices have gone up since I first started driving. But we live close enough my kids are able to walk to and from school. We could also easily walk to the bank and store. Although I don’t recommend this if you’ll have a lot of bags to bring home.
• Find non-electronic hobbies – hobbies can get expensive but I find they’re essential. You need a way you can relax and reset after a long day. Try reading a few new books or exercise in your own home or outside for free.

Use your talents and create new ones by becoming more self-reliant. You don’t have to live on a farm without electricity to live the Old Fashioned way. But by simply changing a few of your habits you’ll be able to save money for you and your family.