Just Curious - Buckeye,AZ

I make my own soap. My hubby and sons have eczema and it is cheaper to make their soaps from scratch than buy the commericial sensitive stuff that don't work. From there I started making my own lotions and creams, then I found out that most of my cleaning supplies used coconut oil so I started making my own laundry soap, dish soap and general cleaning supplies. I find I can get things clean just as well without all the extra chemicals.

I am also cloth diapering. I've finally gotten over my fears of what to do with the poo. Since my husband and I haven't been able to find a second job, we have to because no way can we afford the disposables right now.

Tiny, I'm sure you will love this site as much as I do. Its recipes on making things for your home & saving $$. The link is open up to homeade laundry detergent that works wonders.

http://www.debtfreeadventure.com/2009/06/simple-easy-fast...

I crockpot at least 4 times a week. It's easy, mindless, usually healthy and nutritionally balanced, and most of my ingredients are fresh (from Superstition Ranch Market which makes my produce bill only about $30/week - you must check this place out) and I bargain/coupon shop to get the best deals on everything else. My total grocery/household supplies bill is about $75/week. Prepare the kids lunch and send it with them, it'll save you about $1.25/day and you know it's healthier than what they'd get at school.

You can find great recipes online. I frequent http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ for good ideas and then adapt them to my family's diet. It's also great for taking to dinner appts with friends and you don't have to slave over it!

my man loves lasagna and cheesecake so instead of getting them prepared at the store (makes about 2 meals and costs about $20) I make them from scratch (I freeze half... it can make up to 4 meals for our family of three. Together it costs $50.00 but in the long run it is cheaper than buying them in store.)
my man and daughter also love mcmuffins and breakfast burritos so instead of eating out we buy english muffins, eggs, sausage patties, and cheese slices and make the mcmuffins at home... makes more... cheaper too. for the breakfast burritoes we buy the tortillas, hashbrowns, shredded cheese, bacon, and eggs and make them at home. I also have a wonderful recipe that is great for fall and winter. it is a smoky corn and potatoe chowder. It is really inexpensive to make and it is yummy. kids and men love it! I have a ton more ideas if you want them. my email is ____@____.com.

Everything. It's less a matter of cost than quality. Though if you cut out all the bagged, boxed and processed foods, you will probably spend about the same. I'm a traditional foodie, meaning I try to eat as folks did 150 years ago (see http://www.westonaprice.org). If it wasn't around then, I question its standing as a real food. Read ingredients and you'll be surprised about how much soy, vegetable oil and other "new" ingredients are in everything! You can probably make the same foods. Now, if you are not used to cooking, there'll be a learning curve. But once you get some experience, it's really not THAT hard to make macaroni and cheese or pudding or anything from scratch with real ingredients.

I'm not sure if you are just referring to food, but I make myown laundry soap. It doesn't take very long and costs only a fraction of the cost of a bottle from the store. You can find directions online. I use 7 oz of zote soap (it can be found in the laundry area at a lot of stores) borax and washing soda. Anyway, I don't know if this is what you were looking for. Good luck.

Due to having Celiac's Disease (wheat gluten intolerance), I have been making homemade Everything for a little over 6 years now.

Depending on when (in season) and where (Hate to say it but Walmart's almost always $2 or more cheaper in general then other stores), I can make a healthy meal for a family of four for about $5-8 and have left overs. We go between Trader Joe's for the produce, and WalMart for the best deals, and have to shop at SunFlower and Whole Foods for the Gluten Free items.

My favorites to make in bulk on a Sunday and freeze for use during the week are:

* Turkey Chili w/ Corn Bread
* Shredded BBQ Chicken for sandwiches / salads
* Broccoli and Cheese Soup
* Pasta w/ Meatballs & Sauce
* "Breakfast Bake" which is eggs, cheese, potatoes, peppers & onions baked pie style, sliced, then frozen.

All dishes freeze and heat well for an easy, cheap, but most of all healthy meal during the week or on a busy weekend.

Try searching online sites like Kraft, and Food Network, as they have an impressive collection of recipes (just don't use most of the kraft brand as they do contain harmful ingredients).

I buy most of my produce through www.bountifulbaskets.org. That makes nearly everything cheaper.

Real mashed potatoes...from organic potatoes. I have yet to find organic potato flakes. They may be out there hiding somewhere, but I have yet to find them.
Potatoes are one of the most highly pesticide contaminated foods you can buy. Trader Joe's has organic potatoes cheap.

I make just about everything homemade (food). I rarely buy preboxed foods, except for cereal and occasionally ravoli (frozen). If you're looking for recipes, try myrecipes.com. They have good ones from Cooking Light as well as other publications. It does take a bit more planning, but it's worth the taste alone.

I make homemade baby food (wayyyyyy cheaper!) and homemade wipes...not sure how much cheaper but a lot easier on baby's bottom! (no alcohol in them!) my 1st son had really bad diaper rash and when I started making my own wipes it went away! Making your own baby food is super easy, way cheaper and healthier! good luck!
J.

I make just about everything from scratch - I read labels and it's hard to find anything anymore that doesn't contain either high fructose corn syrup or natural flavors (a term allowed for MSG) or canola and/or soybean oils - these ingredients are cheap which is why they are in so many products - including "health" and "natural" products - but they are very unhealthy - I am a certified herbal consultant so let me know if you want to know why.

I like 1 lb ground turkey seasoned with garlic powder, season salt, and italian seasoning. With 1 lb elbow noodles, a can or two of cream of mushroom soup and a can of corn or peas or both depending on my mood. It is very simple. Yummy and depending on the size of your family there can be leftovers. It is about $5 or $6 dollars depending on what when and where you buy your items.

Everything :) I homemake all desserts. We only eat out a couple times on the weekends.

yummy alomond milk
http://drbenkim.com/recipesalmondmilk.html