the prudent homemaker

[totoro]

She feeds her family of nine on $100 a month!

http://theprudenthomemakerblog.blogspot.ca/

[c]

An interesting read. It leans a little towards "a woman's place is ..." / "The end is nigh, repent now" for my comfort but she has some good tips. Also, lovely photography. I have a similar camera, I could purchase a lot of 35c a lb turkey for what it would sell for today.

[totoro]

Yes, quite religious but I find it mildly fascinating as to what she gets done in a day with all those kids - and the photos are excellent.

[lauren_knows]

Somewhat interesting site.  I wish she'd go into more detail about things she's done.  She said she made chicken soup "from 1 chicken carcass" and that it fed 9 people for 3 meals (27 servings?). Seems a bit misleading.  Not even sure you can get 27 "servings" of stock from 1 carcass, let alone call it "chicken" soup if there's no meat in it.

I don't know why, but that one statement irked me.  I think I need my morning coffee...

[kt]

technically she says they had 27 meals 'from the chicken' not just the carcass, though that still seems pushing it to me. maybe two meat-light meals and one soup based meal?

[kolorado]

I grew up in a family of seven and yes, you can get three meals from one chicken. The trick is to not serve the meat as a meat+starch+vegetable meal. You need to pre-bake or crock-pot the bird and pull all the meat off. Then the meat(typically about 1 cup diced cooked per pound raw and my mother bought 7-8lb birds)is split in thirds and used twice in casseroles, sauces, pies or enchiladas(heavy on filler ingredients like beans, rice, pasta and vegetables)and the last third in a noodle soup or pot pie.

[totoro]

I think that her website is worth a looksee too: http://theprudenthomemaker.com/

She may be a bit overly religious and woman's place at home but the woman gets a lot done on a very very limited budget.  She homeschools all her kids!  Her husband is a real estate agent in Las Vegas who got hit hard by the downturn. 

Things I love that she does:
- her garden - OMG - very frugal and extremely well planned out: http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/kitchen-garden/edible-landscaping
- her garden calendar - inspires me to do one! - http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/kitchen-garden/garden-calendar
- when she has no money at all they make food from their pantry - http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/menus/strictly-pantry-menu
- the photos of her frugal foods - http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/recipes/breakfast
- her website organization

[chicagomeg]

What a fabulous garden she has. Her system actually seems pretty similar to what I'd like to do when I have a real house with more than just a tiny kitchen. I bought a ham for .59/pound in December and all I could think was how much I could save if I had the space to buy three instead of one. I'd also love to can and, as she does, make things like steak sauce, etc. that people typically buy from scratch. I can get past the religious thing and admire her amazing frugality and also POSITIVITY!! She's not complaining, on the contrary she seems extremely content to make do and still enjoy her life.

My mom probably spends closer to $200 or $300/month on groceries because she buys more junk food & doesn't can, but my mom does the same thing w/setting absolute prices she'll pay for things. Her goal, last I knew, was to make each meal for less than $2 and it's usually enough for 3 or 4 meals between her and my dad. Once I have a little more space to keep things on hand, I'd like to do the same thing more rigidly.

[totoro]

I'm just planning my garden as we recently moved to a new house and I think I'm going to grow fruit and berries on the edges as she does.

I like her food storage ideas, although I don't do this:
 http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/about/living-on-food-storage

[c]

I was talking to my sister today about my trip to Patel's and the bulk prices. I was telling her how it's not so much about the dollar savings but about stocking up so that I don't have to go through the hassle of buying more stuff every week. This is one of the things the Prudent blogger really demonstrates. How nice would it be to have this be a monthly or quarterly chore?

I am envious of her storage space. I'm getting better about stocking my pantry with things I use, which means I can have more of that rather than taking up space with things I use only once or twice a year (sugar and flour I'm looking at you).

As much as I hate waste, I think I'm going to do a clear out of all the odds and ends this weekend. If I can't cook them up or give them away, they're out. I mean really, why am I using precious cabinet space to store a cup of cous cous when neither of us like it?

[happy]

Inspiring. I like the way she knows the "seasons" in the shops i.e. buy turkey when its on sale after thanksgiving. And knows exactly what price she will buy at... (reminds me of buying shares), then goes for it.

[kt]

crikey, just read the post on things she doesn't buy. she really is very hardcore and i know it comes from necessity but it is extremely impressive, if a little scary! seems rather unattainable and, dare i say, almost undesirable! i'm not sure i could be that extreme, for one I don't have a garden and am in fairly short-term rented accommodation. but good to see what can be done!

[Jack]

I liked that she admitted to buying Rice-A-Roni before realizing how stupidly expensive it is, instead of giving the impression that she invented her frugal system from whole cloth without making any mistakes.

[c]

I'm going to make this soup on Saturday http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/rosemary-white-bean-soup

I'm putting the beans in to soak before I go to bed tonight. It looks really good and like it should freeze well. I have a Rosemary plant I'm over wintering in my apartment so that's sorted. I'm going to use veg cubes instead of chicken and fresh garlic instead of powdered.

I looked through her recipes and (obviously I suppose) they use ingredients I always have on hand.

I agree, she's really hardcore. She has the climate and space going for her, but obviously is very committed. She's like those extreme couponers, but with stuff you'd actually eat.

[Jill the Pill]

I would find storing that quantity of dry goods kind of risky -- I've lost things to those damned pantry moths and their ugly babies.  Supposedly you can store things "air-tight," but they get in anyway.  We use the traps, and that cuts down on them, but I would be nervous storing months' worth of food.  Any wisdom? 

[totoro]

I HATE pantry moths.  If you freeze your dried goods first overnight and then put them in containers this is supposed to work.

[kolorado]

What's with the criticism over the blog being overly religious? I've yet to see any Bible thumping in the my 10 minutes of perusal, only a single mention of going to church. Faith or God isn't even mentioned on the About Page, is it?
I think it is a great blog as far as tips and pictures go. To make my own little assumption, she's probably a Jehovah's Witness. They are required to have a year's worth of food on hand at all times. So the sect has developed excellent ways to keep food in storage and actually has companies to provide shelf-stable foods and other essential pantry items. It's a really interesting system and even though I don't share their beliefs, I've learned quite a bit from their practices.
It's pretty easy as an adult to filter a person's beliefs from knowledge you can apply to your life. Her beliefs may be a justification for how she applies her knowledge but don't alter the usefulness of her practices so why should her beliefs even earn a mention? It's almost like you're trying to warn others that the blog might be offensive to them. She might be a Christian folks... NSFW! Really? :/

[Hamster]

She said she made chicken soup "from 1 chicken carcass" and that it fed 9 people for 3 meals (27 servings?). Seems a bit misleading.  Not even sure you can get 27 "servings" of stock from 1 carcass, let alone call it "chicken" soup if there's no meat in it.

With enough MSG you can make one chicken carcass into enough broth to feed an army...

Or maybe she just has really big chickens. They are descended from dinosaurs (if you believe in evolution at least).

[nofool]

What's with the criticism over the blog being overly religious? I've yet to see any Bible thumping in the my 10 minutes of perusal, only a single mention of going to church. Faith or God isn't even mentioned on the About Page, is it?
I think it is a great blog as far as tips and pictures go. To make my own little assumption, she's probably a Jehovah's Witness. They are required to have a year's worth of food on hand at all times. So the sect has developed excellent ways to keep food in storage and actually has companies to provide shelf-stable foods and other essential pantry items. It's a really interesting system and even though I don't share their beliefs, I've learned quite a bit from their practices.
It's pretty easy as an adult to filter a person's beliefs from knowledge you can apply to your life. Her beliefs may be a justification for how she applies her knowledge but don't alter the usefulness of her practices so why should her beliefs even earn a mention? It's almost like you're trying to warn others that the blog might be offensive to them. She might be a Christian folks... NSFW! Really? :/

I personally don't have a problem with the religious undertone of her blog. But FYI, she's Mormon. Close guess, though!

[totoro]

She is religious and it is an element of her presentation.  This does not bother me at all.  I would some folks who are opposed to religious doctrine being woven into a public blog. 

I just think that it is her blog and represents who she is fully - very organized, frugal and faith-based with excellent photography skills.   She gets more done in a day that I do and she is extreme in her techniques.

[c]

An interesting read. It leans a little towards "a woman's place is ..." / "The end is nigh, repent now" for my comfort but she has some good tips. Also, lovely photography. I have a similar camera, I could purchase a lot of 35c a lb turkey for what it would sell for today.

I don't see anything in my comment, or anyone else's, that says "She might be a Christian folks... NSFW! Really? :/"

Someone posted a link, it's being discussed.

Back on topic, my beans are soaked, I'm making the soup first thing tomorrow, I can never get the soaking timing right. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I'm also going to look into the powdered milk. We hardly ever have milk in the house. Very occasionally a recipe will call for it and we end up buying a carton only to throw 2/3 of it away. Powdered milk seems like a good solution to this. Also, I had no idea you could get powdered milk that you could use for anything other than that Coffee Mate flavored stuff (I drink my coffee black).

[amyable]

She sort of reminds me of The Frugal Girl (http://www.thefrugalgirl.com) who is also a religious, stay-at-home mother.

[happy]

From what I gather she gets her "extremeness", I gather from living on no income for months at a time (according to the blog), as she doesn't know when she will be able to shop again. So this is because she has to, no really voluntarily. However he positive attitude and lack of complaint-pants is refreshing.

[c]

That's one of the things that attracts me to most of the sites I follow - people are so upbeat and optimistic. My blog is gloomy and snark filled.

The beans have taken over my weekend. I just took them off the stove where they've been simmering for hours. They taste amazing!

Frugal Gal has the lens I've been drooling over for years but can't pull the trigger on. I've read her blog before, I found it when I was looking for yogurt recipes. Her FAQ is crazy, I can't believe people write to her and criticize her diet, especially since it's all cooked from scratch, natural stuff. I bet the "How do you keep your house so clean?" emails were judgy too "Oh, I have a family I need to take care of, I can't POSSIBLY wipe down my counters" ;)

[N]

well, she feeds her family on 100$ month, plus a garden that includes many fruit trees, and a pantry that was stocked (but may now be depleted).
She also gets food from other people occasionally. Im not knocking her in any way, just clarifying.

http://theprudenthomemakerblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Do%20Without

I did find that list interesting.

I recently watched both seasons of Homeland. One thing that struck me is all the wine everyone drinks on the show. Granted its tv, but honestly, do people have a bottle of wine every night with dinner? We hardly ever drink at home, its expensive! Even if I bought TJ 3$ bottles, even at 2 or 3 a week...nope.

I struggle with food spending. We all like eating out. We all want "convenience" food sometimes and we all enjoy "junk" food. If I didnt buy it, we could easily stay under 500$ a month for 4 of us. But there would be a lot of complaining and 3 very unhappy people staring me down every night. So its baby steps.

lots to admire about her blog and her positivity and her tips, etc. thanks for sharing it.

[meadow lark]

I enjoyed reading her blog.  Her recipes weren't relevant to me b/c I eat paleo, but she does show a beautiful attitude.  I do want to comment on a few things - I wouldn't go out and buy 3 hams.  Smoked or processed meat like ham and bacon doesn't freeze we'll.  After 6 weeks or so the flavor gets odd.  I found that out the hard way.  Also, do a little research before adding powdered milk.  I used to mix 1/2 powdered with 1/2 regular milk.  No complaints from my picky son (I started with 1/4 powdered milk and ramped up over a week.). I stopped when I read that the process of spray drying milk creates harmful free radicals and oxidized cholesterol.  There is a lot of controversy, some people say it is no big deal.  I chose to stop using it, but ymmv.  I still freeze milk though.  If you have a problem not using it before it goes bad, freeze it in portion sizes.  It tastes normal to my family when it is defrosted.  I usually buy 4 gallons at a time, and put 3 in the freezer.  Make sure you take out about a cup if you do this, so the container doesn't burst.  Obviously the milk gets bigger when it freezes.

[jpluncford21]

I stopped when I read that the process of spray drying milk creates harmful free radicals and oxidized cholesterol.  There is a lot of controversy, some people say it is no big deal.  I chose to stop using it, but ymmv.  I still freeze milk though.  If you have a problem not using it before it goes bad, freeze it in portion sizes.  It tastes normal to my family when it is defrosted.  I usually buy 4 gallons at a time, and put 3 in the freezer.  Make sure you take out about a cup if you do this, so the container doesn't burst.  Obviously the milk gets bigger when it freezes.

Oxidized cholesterol can be a bad thing. How long does the milk last after you thaw it? Is it good for a week or  so after?

[grantmeaname]

I do want to comment on a few things - I wouldn't go out and buy 3 hams.  Smoked or processed meat like ham and bacon doesn't freeze well.

We've never had a problem with bacon, turkey bacon, or (city) ham. Maybe it got freezer burned or was strange to start out with?

[chicagomeg]

I do want to comment on a few things - I wouldn't go out and buy 3 hams.  Smoked or processed meat like ham and bacon doesn't freeze well.

We've never had a problem with bacon, turkey bacon, or (city) ham. Maybe it got freezer burned or was strange to start out with?

Same. I freeze all of them often, but especially bacon as it seems to go on sale buy one get one free semi-regularly.

[Gerard]

I had a quick look at the site, and enjoyed its personal and tactics-based (rather than MMM's strategy-based) approach. I especially liked the commenter who recommended MMM's $10-a-month cell plan post and said something like "I read his website even though he's not a Christian mom."

[pbkmaine]

Brandy Simper (The Prudent Homemaker) is Mormon. Having a year's supply of food on hand is expected of LDS members. (I had LDS neighbors who explained the system to me. The Church even publishes lists of items for the pantry.) It's just that Brandy does it in an unusually creative and elegant way.

Edit: Just noticed your comment, nofool. Sorry for the repeat.

[Adventine]

Stunning photography.

[BPA]

An interesting read. It leans a little towards "a woman's place is ..." / "The end is nigh, repent now" for my comfort but she has some good tips. Also, lovely photography. I have a similar camera, I could purchase a lot of 35c a lb turkey for what it would sell for today.

Thanks for the warning.  :) 

Edit:  To the poster who doesn't "get" why someone might not want to bother reading about traditional women's roles and religious dogma, maybe that doesn't bother you, but when there are so many good resources out there, I am grateful when someone posts a bit of a review so that I can move on.  I was raised Christian and have a great deal of respect for the kind of Christianity I was exposed to.  But I don't want to waste my time reading politics I find repugnant (ie the woman's place is in the home and only the home).  There is nothing wrong with avoiding that. 

[totoro]

except that is not what she writes.  she writes about her life at home with her children.  there is some religious content but nothing that expresses an opinion about the choices of others. 

[BPA]

except that is not what she writes.  she writes about her life at home with her children.  there is some religious content but nothing that expresses an opinion about the choices of others.

Curiosity got the better of me and I took a look at the site.  I agree that she is not preachy.  She has some interesting ideas too, but is a bit too much of a hermit to be a real inspiration to me.  And homeschooling is not my thing either.  Regardless, good for her if it works for her and if others can benefit from her blog, that's good.  I agree that her photography is impressive.

I still think it's okay for people to give others a heads up about what they might find though. 

[kkbmustang]

She is inspiring and gorgeous photography! I plan on taking my first Costco trip in a few years this week and price match to see if it makes sense to drive 20 minutes to get there. I'm hoping to get deals on dairy, meat, cheese and produce. We shall see.

[pbkmaine]

Although I could no more homeschool 7 children than I could fly to the moon, I agree that her blog is inspirational and even seductive. Those photos and her lovely writing draw one into a life that is simpler and perhaps richer than a "typical" modern life. 

[chicagomeg]

I went to visit this blog on a whim today and had to share this delightful quote: "I received a pickup truck load of good dirt from a friend who ripped out her raised garden beds to make room for her rv. I put it in the front yard where the lemon trees will be, and it filled most of the front bed in front of the wall. That will save me about $600 in dirt."

Guess we're not the only ones with friends with different financial priorities than us...

[netskyblue]

- her garden - OMG - very frugal and extremely well planned out: http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/kitchen-garden/edible-landscaping

I'm in love!  I never would have thought you could grow so much in so little space!  I'm so terrified I'll have to settle for a small lot when I buy a house, and this gives me hope that even if I do, I can make it into a functional, enjoyable space.  And it's so private!

Does anybody know where one could learn to do landscaping like that?  Building the wall, the stone or concrete or whatever it is around the small plots, etc.  That's something I'd love to learn how to do.

[pbkmaine]

She says she taught herself over time. I am learning by joining a garden club and spending time with friends who garden. They teach me and I lend them my hands and back. But there are lots of community programs, and your state most likely has a cooperative extension. Call them and see what they offer.

[totoro]

- her garden - OMG - very frugal and extremely well planned out: http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/kitchen-garden/edible-landscaping

I'm in love!  I never would have thought you could grow so much in so little space!  I'm so terrified I'll have to settle for a small lot when I buy a house, and this gives me hope that even if I do, I can make it into a functional, enjoyable space.  And it's so private!

Does anybody know where one could learn to do landscaping like that?  Building the wall, the stone or concrete or whatever it is around the small plots, etc.  That's something I'd love to learn how to do.

I know - me too.  I registered for  course to do landscape design at our local horticultural college and then realized the time commitment was too much.  I'm trying to contact the instructor to have her come over for a few hours to work on a plan with me.  Even then, I'm not sure she is the right person.  I don't know anyone locally who has done a design like the prudent homemaker and I want one like it. 

I asked her to post her irrigation system - that is a big thing because I'm away for a week a month.  She said she would do a post on it later.  I know whatever it is it is DIY and inexpensive - as is everything she does.

I think those edges are poured concrete - you should post on her site and ask how that was done - I wouldn't mind doing the same either with gravel pathways.

As far as the wall, I think that is concrete block which is very common in Las Vegas.  No-one uses it where I live.

[cordgrass]

I would find storing that quantity of dry goods kind of risky -- I've lost things to those damned pantry moths and their ugly babies.  Supposedly you can store things "air-tight," but they get in anyway.  We use the traps, and that cuts down on them, but I would be nervous storing months' worth of food.  Any wisdom?

French canning jars are failsafe.  Here's a pic of someone who uses them:

http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/p/pics.html

That blog is a nice counterbalance to the prudent homemaker in the OP.  Bea Johnson is trying more for zero waste rather than saving money, but often the outcome is the same.  She even forages for food.

[killingxspree]

wow I'm really impressed. I don't find the religiousness preachy or anything but it is apart of who she is that is probably why there are inspirational bible quotes occasionally. I really like how she makes things like shoes and scarves too and her garden is C'est Magnifique!

[MrsPete]

I liked that she admitted to buying Rice-A-Roni before realizing how stupidly expensive it is, instead of giving the impression that she invented her frugal system from whole cloth without making any mistakes.

Yeah, I think all of us who've been at this frugal thing for a while can joke about mistakes we made when we were less experienced.  At this point in my life I'm a black belt at putting excellent food on the table for a budget price, but it's a skill set that's improved over the years. 

[BZB]

I love her site too! I like all the practical information. FYI, she is currently doing a series on her blog on how she feeds her family on 40 cents per day.

[TinyLightsBelow]

Wow, that is incredibly impressive! If I lived in a house with an expansive yard I would definitely utilize her strategy of growing food like crazy. I agree with some of the other posters that she does not come off as preachy at all.

[MsGuided]

I read her blog regularly and find her matter-of-fact tone impressive with all she does.  I am NO WHERE close to her level of frugality, but she reminds me to think about how I can do things more cheaply by thinking creatively.  I dream of growing food and have had lots of failures (two dead apple trees, a living apple tree that produced a few apples, a plum tree with no fruit yet, and a peach tree that had tons of perfect peaches that were ALL eaten by squirrels before ripening), but I love reading about her successes and hope for some in my future.:)