8 Cool Reasons to Save Coffee Grounds That You Probably Don’t Know

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7 Simple Hacks To Organize Your Kitchen On a Budget - Thistlewood Farm

Looking for simple kitchen organizing hacks? Here are seven simple ideas to make life a little easier including the easiest plate rack idea.

The Coolest Scientific Things To Do With Milk Before It Goes Bad

Rubber Band Hacks That Will Make Life Just a Little Easier!

This post contains editorial samples and/or affiliate links to products I recommend. While this adds no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission on any sales made. Who knew that a little loop of rubber could come in handy in so many different ways. You will find plenty of ways to utilize those nifty rubber bands lying around the house- some nifty rubber band hacks that will help make things just a little more convenient!

25 Frugal Living Tips With a Big Impact

Today I'm sharing 25 frugal living tips with a big impact. The tips are in five categories: how to save money online, on gas, on laundry, on groceries, and in your everyday life. Let's get started.

How to Transfer Your Home Movies to Digital Yourself

Inside: How I DIY digitized all of my old home videos from VHS and camcorder tapes and edited them myself. I saved a ton of money and can share them easily with friends and family from my organized movie vault! ⟹

How To Declutter Your Home Effectively Without Wasting Time

Some may say the easiest way to declutter your home and stuff is to get rid of most of it. But the good news is you don’t have to go to drastic measures. Regardless if you own a home or live in an apartment, we all need to declutter and keep things neat and organized. But, more so, you can declutter your home without wasting time or energy. And enjoy the process too!

20 Lazy Ways to Keep a Clutter-Free Home With Minimal Effort

When it comes to getting a clutter-free home, minimalism is key. Minimalism is all about doing less.I've found that the less I have, the less I have to clean. That motivates me to keep my home free of annoying clutter. Here, I’m going to share practical tips that I use to keep my home clutter-free.

How to Stop Buying Stuff: 15 Things I Don't Buy & Their Alternatives

I like to live my life intentionally and purchase only things that add value and meaning to my life. Some people ask me if I feel deprived not buying what I want, but the truth is that one only feels deprived if there is no contentment in their life.In my case, I don't feel deprived at all because I have all my basic needs covered, and I'm content with what I have. I also feel happy, and I don't feel that there is a void that needs to be filled by nonessential things.Here's how to stop buying stuff. Some things I make myself using eco-friendly materials, and some of them are healthier, more eco-friendly, and more budget-friendly alternatives to the things that I have been using in the past.

13 Years Living as a Minimalist & the 13 Lessons I've Learned

I have been living as a minimalist for 13 years, and in that 13 years, a lot has happened. I've raised three kids; we sold our house, bought an RV, and traveled the US in it, but one thing has remained the same. I'm still a minimalist.Today I'm going to share with you a few lessons of minimalism that I have learned after living life as a minimalist for over 13 years.

Questions to Ask Yourself While Purging Your Clothes

Many people have no idea where to start when purging clothes in their closets. They look at their clothes and think, "I just don't need all of this," but when they want to start purging, the thought stops them in their tracks because they do not know where to start and how to discern what item to get rid of first.

How to Shop Like a Minimalist: 12 Ways to Shop Intentionally

When you hear the word “minimalist,” what comes to mind? For some, it might be an extreme approach to living that requires getting rid of all material possessions. For others, it may be a lifestyle that emphasises simplicity and decluttering. No matter how you view minimalism, one thing is for sure: It can be applied to your shopping habits.There was a time I could have been considered a shopaholic. I would buy things on impulse, without giving it much thought. I would end up with a closet full of new clothes I never wore and a house full of trinkets I didn’t need.Retail therapy was a real way of thinking back then. I would spend money to make myself feel better, even though it would only be a temporary fix. I knew I needed to find a better way to shop.Read also: How to stop shopping online for clothes you don’t needIf any of this sounds familiar, keep reading…Then I discovered minimalism and everything changed. I learned how to shop like a minimalist.I stopped buying things I no longer needed. Now, I shop with intention. I buy only what I need and what will bring me joy. I avoid impulse purchases and focus on secondhand and sustainable options. And as a result, my closet has clothes I love and my home is filled with items that have meaning to me.If you’re looking to declutter your life and simplify your spending habits, keep reading for my 12 ways to shop intentionally.Read also: 26 Things I Stopped Buying To Embrace Minimalism

10 Best Methods for Food Preservation at Home

Learning how to preserve your own food at home is empowering and the perfect way to start building your self sufficiency skills and emergency stockpile. Explore the best methods for food preservation at home and start creating your own pantry filled with homegrown food for a healthier, frugal, community based local source of food for your family.

Frugal Food Hacks To Save Money

Posts contain affiliate links, see disclosure for more details.Grocery bills are inescapable. You gotta eat right? And while there are plenty of ways to cut down your grocery spend, it can still prove tricky to get the most value and use out of the food you buy.That’s where these frugal food hacks come in.Being frugal with food doesn’t have to mean going without, or making poor substitutions that do little for your health or your taste buds.But it can mean just being a little more savvy where you can to make sure you get the most value from the food you buy. After all, it’s really frustrating to end up throwing away food you’ve paid money for, that could have been eaten.In my house, it’s bananas.For reasons only known to themselves, some weeks my kids eat through all the bananas in a couple of days and then we have none left. So the next time we might buy extra, only to find that sudenly all the kids now hate bananas and they turn brown on the side, uneaten. Drives me crazy.I know I could easily use them up with a classic banana bread recipe, but honestly, I’m just not that keen.These frugal food hacks help food last longer and go further, as well as saving waste and reducing costs.How To Be Frugal With Food

7 Essential Kitchen Ice Cube Recipes

These 7 essential kitchen ice cube recipes are a game-changer in the kitchen. They are also a great way to save money by not throwing away unused food.The key to success with this is to have a section of your freezer that is designated for your ice cubes and has clearly marked packaging.

Best Cheap Food to Buy When You’re on a Budget

Cheapest Food to Buy to Save MoneyBuying food for your family can get expensive!Since it’s a necessity, it’s a good idea to constantly look for ways to cut back on your grocery bill.Whether you’re broke or just on a strict budget, one of the best ways to save money on groceries is to buy cheap food that you can stretch throughout the week.The phrase “cheap food on a budget” may be a turn-off for some people.But just because the food on this list is cheap doesn’t mean your family won’t love eating it!On top of being inexpensive, most of the food on this list is very versatile.Here are 27 delicious foods that are easy on the wallet and help you stretch your food budget just a little bit further.

Easy Foods to Make Instead of Buy To Save Money

If you’re looking to save money on groceries, one easy way is to make some of your food instead of buying it.Here are three quick and easy foods to make that will help you stretch your dollars further. Give them a try! If you are new to a frugal lifestyle making your food will save you money and a trip to the store.Sometimes we get into a routine that we don’t realize we can step outside of it and make the same things we are buying.When my girls were toddlers, we were in extreme frugal living. Mainly because we didn’t have a choice. Our income was low, and I wasn’t working.If you are overwhelmed with a frugal lifestyle but want to save money on your grocery bill, I encourage you to make at least one of these three foods below.My high achievers- make all three. 🙂You can watch my Titkok on this. It’s only 60 seconds if you don’t want to read them below. @thefrugalfarmgirl 4 ways we keep a # #. # # # # # # # ♬ original sound – thefrugalfarmgirl

Freezer Organization Ideas To Save You Money

Are you tired of finding old expired food in your deep freezer? Stop wasting food with this must have freezer organization. Having an organized freezer will eliminate the stress of throwing expired food out. In this post we share ideas and tips to create zero wasted space, which will allow you to keep inventory of your food. Complete with DIY printable labels and inexpensive bins, you’ll be well on your way to organizing your freezer and eliminating waste.

5 Ways To Recover When You Overspend

Do you tend to overspend? If so, you aren’t alone.We’ve all had times where we went to Target for one thing and walked out with ten items that weren’t even on our list. Maybe Target isn’t your kryptonite. Maybe for you, it’s Ulta, Kohl’s Cash, or clothes/shopping for your kids.Or maybe you had a bad day at work, and you treated yourself to that new tablet you’ve been eyeballing. (you know- the one that all of your friends have but you? yeah, that one). Whatever it is doesn’t necessarily matter – it’s all the same. You have walked into a store and walked out, spending way more than you planned on spending.Afterward, that sinking feeling starts to set in. The feeling has you clenching your teeth as you sign in to your online banking app or credit card account. That’s the feeling of regret mixed with a little bit of nausea.

17 Simple Things To Quit Buying To Save More Money

Posts contain affiliate links, see disclosure for more details.Do you find you get paid and as soon as all your bills have gone flying out there’s barely anything left?Or you’ve been trying to budget but still there’s nothing left to add to your savings at the end of the month? Making a budget you can actually stick to doesn’t have to be difficult and there are so many ways you can improve your finances to give your budget a boost.Sometimes it’s the little things you don’t realise you’re spending so much money on, and they all add up to have a significant effect on your budget.Or sometimes it’s the bigger things that have become accidental ‘essentials’ we suddenly can’t do without.Whichever it is, there are lots of things to try cutting out from your budget to help save money.

What to Do With a Large Sum of Money? (And What Not to Do)

What to do with a large sum of money?Have you just-Won a million-dollar lottery?Or inherited a large amount of money from your parents?Or got a big bonus from your employer or a huge tax refund?Well as exciting as it sounds, it’s not that easy to figure out what to do with such a large sum of money and how to manage it properly.If you don’t take the right steps to handle this money properly, this fortune of yours won’t last you longer and may create various tax or other issues for you.In fact, according to research, lottery winners are more likely in three to five years than average Americans.This is because people don’t make the right financial decisions after receiving this windfall and end up broke after a certain time.To avoid this, let’s see what to do with a large sum of money and what NOT to do as well so that you can manage this money smartly.

How To Make An Extra $1000 A Month (In 2022)

Everybody could use some extra cash flow! Now more than ever, people are looking to extend beyond their 9-5 by finding additional income streams. Whether you’re paying off those student loans or trying to save a little extra for that new car or dream vacation, here’s how you can make an extra $1000 a month.Monthly Opportunities To Make An Extra $1000If you don’t have the time to dedicate to a full-on side gig, these are great extra income earners to do when you have the time. Do as little or as much as you would like.Furniture FlipperHave you ever seen a piece of furniture listed online for free or on the side of the road, and you just know it has some hidden potential? You can turn old furniture into brand new again and make a pretty profit while you do it. Plus, you’re taking something that might otherwise become garbage and giving it a second chance!Sell Items You Don’t NeedDo you really need that fancy coat you never wear? Or that pair of skis collecting dust? Chances are, you have plenty of items around the home that you no longer need, but others would happily pay for. Sell the items in a garage sale, through local listings such as Facebook Marketplace, or online through eBay to find your items a new home.Food DeliveryThe demand for people to deliver food or grocery shop has only gone up thanks to these past couple of years. Become a delivery person for apps such as Instacart, DoorDash, or Uber Eats. Some people make delivering items a full-time job, so if you’re looking for how to make an extra $1000 a month, this option can really pay well!RidesharingLike the above, consider becoming a driver for Uber, Lyft, or other ridesharing apps. In this case, you can set your own hours and truly work as much or as little as you like. You will need to have a vehicle that is new enough and specific insurance in order to qualify as a driver.Pet ServicesIf you love animals, you can earn money just for hanging out with them! List yourself as a dog walker or pet sitter. Advertise through the neighborhood or by listing yourself through local online listings. You can also sign up for apps such as Rover to quickly get started and work with vetted pet owners.Rent Out Your ItemsDid you know that there is a website for renting out pretty much anything? Nowadays, it’s easy to lend your items to others. Consider listing your car on Turo, extra storage space on Neighbor, outdoor equipment like snowboards or bikes on Spinlister, baby gear on Babyquip, and just about everything on Fat Llama.If you have something you think others may want, just give a quick search to see if it’s possible. It may just be the idea you need for how to make an extra $1000 a month.Sell At Local MarketsDo you love to create? If you’re spending time on a hobby anyway, you can easily monetize it without dedicating all your extra time to it. It can be anything from selling plants to handmade artwork. Whenever you have enough supply, join a local market and rent a table for the weekend or day to sell your items.AirbnbIf you have an extra room in your house or a little getaway, consider renting it out when it’s not in use. While those with extra space are quick to think of Airbnb, most people don’t realize that you can also list experiences. Experiences are activities that tourists can sign up for. Examples include local cooking classes, boat rides, to walking tours throughout the city.House SittingPeople are always looking for reliable individuals or couples to look after their space while they’re gone. While you can try and find postings for housesitting through local listings, the most popular tool is TrustedHousesitters. The website connects homeowners with house-sitters for an annual fee.Most housesitting jobs here won’t earn you actual income. However, they will give you a chance to save money on household expenses or even allow you free accommodation while traveling.

10 Old-Fashioned Money Saving Skills That You NEED to Learn

Are you looking for ways to save money and be more self-sufficient? Check out this list of Old-Fashioned Skills that you should learn today including gardening, bartering and mending.

How Do You Stay Frugal During Inflation (7 Tips From A Frugal Mama)

As prices continue to rise, it can be tough to stick to a budget. But with a few simple tips, you can keep your spending under control and make the most of your money. Here are seven helpful suggestions for staying frugal during inflation. Read on to learn more.

This Tiny Home Features a DIY Bathhouse Made From Recycled Windows

A tiny home bathroom can be a make-it-or-break-it feature; it is perhaps one of the most important spaces in a tiny house. Emmet’s luxury DIY bathhouse is made from recycled windows, overlooks a beautiful forest, and turns his tiny home from a regular abode into a peaceful nature retreat.Emmet’s home is a tiny house made from recycled materials. It sits on a 40-acre organic farm near Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia. The single-story home is 4 meters (13 feet) long and was built by Emmet himself, with the help of some friends.Emmet used recycled timbers, skirting boards, and other scrap wood that he collected. He estimates that 80 percent of his home is made from reused materials. The main new things he invested in were screws, nuts, and bolts.

She Sleeps in a Piano? This Victorian Tiny House is True to History

Shorty Robbins, a Civil War reenactor, has turned her love for history into a beautiful Victorian tiny house that is historically accurate as well as aesthetically pleasing. Her home is named Nawaka, after the summer camp that taught her independence and self-reliance in her childhood.The home entrance is a Dutch door. The ground floor is a parlor and sleeping area for adults, while the loft is a sleeping area for visitors. This is true to real life, where Victorian parents would have slept downstairs in their parlor and their children would have slept upstairs.

Her Boho Tiny House Was Built Using Recycled Materials

Danielle knew that she wanted a place she could call her own, but with rocketing housing prices, she struggled to find an affordable housing solution. Thanks to space on her uncle’s 3-acre plot in Oregon, she was able to build a boho tiny house that combines the best elements of living alone while also staying close to family.Danielle’s tiny house was built using reclaimed materials, such as old barn wood for the walls, an old stained glass window that acts as the center accent for the living room wall, and second-hang mounted cabinets in the kitchen.In addition to being sustainable, the use of reclaimed materials made the construction of this tiny home extremely affordable, costing a total of $25,000.

How She Turned a 10' X 11' Shed Into a Tiny Home on a Budget

Heather’s journey from shed to tiny home shows that with a little creative problem solving, you can take life’s challenges and turn them into a great adventure.Heather started her shed construction for work and storage space. However, when she separated from her husband, she needed a new home as well. So, she created her 10’ x 11’ shed home, which is located in Ontario on a property owned by her mother and sister.Being close to family allows Heather to nurture relationships with her nieces and nephews, while also having her own space to do whatever she wants, like having solo dance parties!

Tiny House Ideas for Beach Cottage Remodel – Before and After

We have been remodeling our tiny 460 sq. ft., 1940’s beach cottage since last fall. Today I’m revealing the entire DIY renovation process. Here are the Budget Friendly Tiny House Ideas we used to remodel our beach cottage to create storage and make the one bedroom cottage feel large.Although Brad and I had never attempted to tackle anything like this remodel we jumped right in. After building our DIY Greenhouse without any help, we felt cautiously optimistic that we could figure it out as we went.First, the only area that hasn’t been remodeled is the bathroom and small laundry area which was last updated in 2005. It’s time for another update and we will be tackling those areas at a later date.However, the remainder of the house now has new windows, floors, and paint. In the kitchen the cabinets and walls were also replaced.In addition, we added a closet, an accent wall, opened a wall and added a bar for dining. A new kitchen sink and faucet and several decor updates was part of the remodel.Let’s start at the beginning.

This Expandable Tiny Home is Perfect For Mother & Teen Daughter

When Reggie got divorced, she knew that she wanted two things: 1) homeownership and 2) stability for her and her daughter. She found both with her expandable tiny home, which is parked on her parents’ property. This allows Reggie to stay in her hometown, while her daughter continues to attend the same school and can stay close to her group of friends.As a carer for her mom, it was important to Reggie to do everything via the proper legal channels and follow all the paperwork for the permits to park on her parents’ property, even when the process was long and tedious. Today, she is able to help her mom by driving her to and from doctors’ appointments, creating a win-win situation for the entire family.Reggie’s expanding tiny home has a clean farmhouse aesthetic, with a dutch door that lets in the California breeze. It was important to Reggie to have a home that reflects her aesthetic sensibilities. That’s why she imported her home from the Mint Tiny House Company, which is based in Canada. The company took care of all the paperwork for her, though it did add on $6,000 worth of costs in paperwork and customs fees.The expansions to Reggie’s home were professionally installed and will have to be removed if she decides to take her home on the road, but they provide a living room alcove with room for a full couch where Reggie and her daughter can snuggle and watch TV, plus a spacious bedroom for Reggie.

She Restored a Vintage RV & Made a Cat-Friendly Road Home

This is the vintage RV restoration tale of Jessie and her 1978 Dodge Commander, nicknamed “Mander”. Jessie bought Mander for $1900 and turned it into a home for her and her cats!A classic vintage RV, Mander was in need of a vintage RV makeover after years of use left her worn out and water-damaged. Jessie and her dad redid parts of the walls that were damaged beyond repair. They also replaced large parts of the vintage RV interior.In this video, she shows off her vintage RV remodel with a full tour:

How Empty Nesters Converted a 1994 Bluebird Bus Into a Tiny Home

Pamela and Jim knew that they wanted to travel once their youngest had graduated high school. After a few months of renting out their house and tent camping on the weekends, they were ready for school bus home living.The couple bought a 1994 Bluebird bus with a 5.9L 12-valve Cummins diesel engine with an Allison Transmission for $800 dollars. They then carried out a frugal and innovative school bus home conversion that turned their skoolie into a beautiful home, named “Sugarbear”.Pamela and Jim lived and traveled on their 1994 Bluebird as they embarked on their adventure of converting a school bus into a home. As they visited different places, they stopped at different homeware, thrift, and secondhand stores, snatching up deals when they saw them.They bought a used couch for $15 dollars, then Pamela taught herself how to paint the fabric by watching online videos. After 7 coats of paint, she was able to transform the outdated couch into a nice gray that complements the interior of their school bus tiny home.The couple also bought custom-made flooring that had been returned to Lowes at a discount and donated the leftover material to a friend who was starting his own tiny home conversion process.

This Remodeled 1976 Dodge RV is Full of Family Heirlooms

When Kenny saw an old 1976 Dodge RV sitting on the road while out riding his bicycle, he took it home and used it as a way of fulfilling his traveling dreams. This remodeled vintage camper was handmade using many of Kenny’s family heirlooms, giving the 1976 Dodge a warm, homey feeling that reminds Kenny of many childhood memories.His dad’s office bookcase became overhead cabinets, and the old cedar chest his great-grandfather made for his grandmother as a hope chest was used to make a bed/couch. Kenny’s grandma’s checkerboard also became a foldable table. These personalized touches help the restored vintage camper feel like home.

RV Makeover: Kitchen & Living Room

What started out as just a quick little bathroom fix in our RV, turned into a complete remodel of our entire camper! Here is the last part of our RV makeover! To see the entire camper, be sure to see my feed or visit my blog.

Camper Master Bedroom Remodel

After we completed the bathroom remodel and gave it a farmhouse feel, we knew we had to follow the design throughout the camper. Next up was our master bedroom! This was what I had originally considered the dark hole. It was so dark and boring! Wait until you see the after of this one!

How To Remodel a Camper Bunkhouse

This summer we spent time remodeling our 2017 travel trailer. There was nothing wrong with our trailer, we just hated how dark the interior was and we wanted a more farmhouse feel to the inside. We are always amazed at how something as simple as paint alone can transform a space! Check out how we remodeled our kids' bunkhouse!