Retro Housewife Goes Green

7 Vintage Homemaking Skills That Save You Money

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Vintage homemaking skills are a great way to save money and live more eco-friendly. These are some that you should consider learning today.

cropped shot of housewife preparing dough in glass bowl in kitchen

I’ve always enjoyed learning about homemakers in the past. Many of my favorite parts of the Little House on the Prairie TV show are when they are just doing normal chores. The same is true of shows like Donna Reed and I Love Lucy. How we take care of our homes has changed so much.

Don’t get me wrong, the fact that we can have robots vacuum our houses is pretty awesome. However, we’ve forgotten some good housekeeping skills of the past. These skills still have a lot of value today.

As many of us are searching for a simpler and more frugal life, looking to the past may help. Homemakers of the past were frugal and eco-friendly without really thinking about it. It’s just what you did.

One added benefit of the way homemaking was done in the past is a slimmer waistline. While many things played a role in the weight of women in the past, one was spending more time doing housework. A housewife in the 1950’s burned around 1,000 calories a day by doing housework, now we burn just around 560.

All of this is why I’d like to get back to using the vintage homemaking skills I have and learn more about them. It would be nice to save money, be less reliant on others, and possibly burn a few extra calories.

Here are a few vintage homemaking skills we all should consider learning and using.

Vintage Homemaking Skills

Vintage Homemaking Skills That Save You Money, Frugal Living, Green Living, #frugal #vintage #homemaking

  1. Making Bread.

    Homemade bread is the best. If you ask me there are few things as good as a piece of freshly made bread. Making your own also saves money and gives you control over the ingredients. Baking bread isn’t hard but it does take time. Though I can’t say I’ve ever regretted taking the time to make bread. Since bread freezing really well, if you have space, you can make a few loaves at a time and freeze the extra. Saving a little time and effort.

  2. Sewing.

    This is one I haven’t mastered yet. I have a sewing machine but haven’t used it much. I’d love to learn to make things like curtains, cloth napkins, and other household products. I’d also like to learn to make at least some simple clothing items, I’m planning to take some of the sewing classes on Craftsy. Even if I don’t always use this skill it’s a good one to have. I can already sew on buttons and do some basic mending but learn to do more will help me to make our clothes last longer.

  3. Gardening.

    I can grow flowers and I enjoy it but I’ve never really taken the time to set up a vegetable garden. We are currently looking for a new home and when we find one I hope to build a raised bed to grow some of our food. I also want to try and garden frugally, doing things like starting my own seeds.

  4. Canning.

    Okay, I’m going, to be honest, this one scares me. I do not want to give my family botulism. I know there are many things to do to prevent this and really it’s quite rare, but poisoning your family is a scary thought! I have some books about canning saved to read soon to help me feel like I’m not going to kill everyone. If I have a garden it would be nice to be able to can some of the things I grow. I also love homemade jellies and jams so I’d like to be able to make those.

    Vintage Homemaking Skills That Save You Money, Frugal Living, Green Living, #frugal #vintage #homemaking

  5. Cook more from scratch.

    I already cook most of our food from scratch, at least in the way most people mean by that. I want to do more though. I want to start making homemade pasta, I even have the pasta attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. I’d even like to learn to make some cheese, especially ricotta. I have no plan to learn to make hard cheeses, that is a much bigger task but things like ricotta and cream cheese, even mozzarella don’t look too difficult. I enjoy cooking and homemade almost always tastes better so this is a skill that will bring many benefits.

  6. Waste less.

    I used to be a lot better at this and I want to get back to it. I want to compost what I can and put more effort into recycling and reusing. I also want to be sure to keep track of the food we have and use it up before it goes bad. Food waste really bothers me, it’s like throwing money straight into the trash! I’d love to get our trash down to a very small amount. It’s already less than the average American but I know we can do even better. Less waste isn’t only good for the environment, it’s good for our pocketbooks!

  7. Learn to do more home improvement projects.

    I already have some knowledge in this area thanks to my very handy dad that let me “help” him with projects. I know I can learn more though. Not having to hire people not only saves you money, it’s empowering. I grew up in a family that rarely hired anyone to fix things or do any home improvement projects. I really like that and when we get our new house I’m sure I will have lots of opportunities to learn and practice.

cropped shot of housewife preparing dough in glass bowl at kitchen

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Which of these vintage homemaking skills have you mastered? Are there others you think I should add to my list? Any other good resources I should check out?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I like this post! I have to agree that homemade bread is absolutely the best! I also would love to master sewing – there are so many practical applications to knowing how to sew and I don’t know how to do much more than fix a hem. 🙂

    Reply

      • If you want to start baking bread slowly, you can purchase frozen bread dough…And when you do start making yours from scratch, be sure to buy/use SAF yeast. Get to know and love this stuff! If you can’t find it at your grocer, you can purchase it on Amazon. Best of luck?

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    • Erin, if you can hem a dress or skirt or whatever, you are ahead of most. My youngest daughter who lives in Austin took a sewing class given by a fabric store. She made a purse, and a stuffed animal and something else. The main thing she learned was the parts of the sewing machine and how it worked. She was so intimidated by it before taking the class. Now, she has all kinds of confidence. Depending on where you live, your local college might have a class or you may find a seamstress who would give you some lessons.

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    • I’ll tell you ladies who want to make curtains and throw pillows, it is very easy. Buy curtains in a pattern you like or love, cut the curtain to the exact size you need and saw across, go to the bottom (with the sewing machine) and saw across, the left over material can go to the tie backs, the same goes for throw pillows, the pillows are sewn across. I’m telling you it is super easy.

      Reply

      • sewing and remodeling
        When I was suddenly left with 3 little kids in a very small town I could sew but didn’t know much about doing things for others. But did put up my shingle and started doing hems, shortening men’s pants and found that I could learn doing other more complicated things. Pay attention when you take something apart and then use those lessons after doing the adjustments. Great way to learn.

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  2. Hahahaha I can’t do ANY of these!!! I often tease my husband that it’s a good thing I’m good at my career b/c I’d suck as a housewife. When I was in school I even pleaded out of home ec and took woodshop for 3 straight years I had the woodshop teacher write a letter recommending me to come back as a teaching asst just to help me avoid home ec. I was good at building clocks and model bridges but I can’t sew a button to save my life.

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    • You can do it!!
      Canning is very easy. But in bulk and can it. You can find canning jars at Goodwill and inverts in a pressure canner. About $100.
      I can chicken, beef, jams, fruits, veggies, and milk.
      Make laundry soap and household
      Cleaner. It’s easy,
      No food goes to waste here. I give left overs to to the chickens and I like in the city!

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      • How do you can milk? I started out canning green beans at the age of 22. Since I have canned tomatoes, tomato juice , ketchup, salsa , applesauce, apples , apple butter, grape and strawberry jam , beefstew,French onion soup , pinto beans, navy beans ,chicken broth, beef , corn , pickles . I love canning . It is so much healthier. It is very rewarding!

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  4. I think it is so important that people still maintain these skills. If not to save money now, but to at least have a back up plan if everything goes in the pooper. I know some people that lost their jobs and had they not known how to garden and can they would have been very very hungry and possible foreclosed on. Great article!

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  5. Amen! I am a big believer in all of these, and aside from gardening, I am pretty good at implementing them. I am also motivated by the sense of self-reliance I feel as I create my own necessities of life.

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  6. OOOooo, I LOVE homemade bread too! I have a basic base recipe, and I like to create different varieties like cinnamon raisin, rosemary & garlic, or even a chocolate chip (great for french toast). I’m with you when it comes to canning, I have yet to attempt it, out of fear alone! We had our first veggie garden this summer, and I should have canned. We had WAY too many tomatoes (NOTE TO SELF: next year I’ll only need one Roma & one grape tomato plant). Our man cubs loved going out there and picking fresh veggies for dinner! This post has me longing for spring.

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    • When I first married I was given a Betty Crocker Cookbook. At the front of the book was a section on canning and I got all excited. Then I read something about “theoretically one teaspoon of jelly with botulism could kill xxx number of people”. That was enough for me. Never tried it! Ha!

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  9. I hope you give canning a try. It’s easiest if you do it with a friend 🙂 I’m glad I have the skill of sewing because it has come in handy for repairing clothing, however it really isn’t that economical to sew your own clothes anymore. You can always find clothing cheaper on the clearance racks and consignment shops (and sometimes full price in the stores too!), than if you made them yourself. Plus you don’t have to spend several hours of your time doing the work either. The same wasn’t true 50 years ago or even 30 years ago, but now it’s kind of expensive to sew your own clothing.

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  10. Even though I would rarely use it, I decided to buy a sewing machine because I don’t know anyone I could borrow from. The plan was to share with my daughter whose need is like mine. Turns out she got one for Christmas 🙂

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  11. I would like to bake more bread. We do garden, I don’t can but I do freeze a lot and we make a lot of food from scratch. My husband is a general contractor, so we do a lot around the house ourselves too. I need to do more housework so I can burn those calories!

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  14. We do many of these things in our home and am teaching the skills to my children. The one I need to work on is sewing. I can’t sew, but my husband can which makes him very handy.

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  15. I do a little of each of the skills you mentioned, but I could use more practice in all of them because I definitely am a novice at them all! I’m putting the home improvement tasks on my husbands list 🙂

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  16. I wish I could be able to maintain these skills today. i know most of them but usually don’t have the time to practice them all. It is sad and i wish i could do it differently!

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  19. I’ve did all of these things when I was younger and still do most of them – except gardening. It probably would be wise to get back into a more sustainable lifestyle and return to the garden. We live in the high desert, so it does get mighty hot in the summer, and the weeds grow faster than the produce – but I think it still would be doable.

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  21. This is a very interesting post. I do sew and I can make my own bread, but I usually don’t. I’ve always wanted to try canning!

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  22. I totally agree with everything in this post! I made sandwich bread yesterday, I have been making my own chicken stock for years, and I can. I also garden, but I’m pretty bad at it – but I keep at it. But with food costs so ridiculous, every bit of savings helps – and it’s healthier too! Wasting less – that is a resolution for us this year. We need to be better about that.

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  23. What a great list, a lot of them we do already and it is making such a difference in our health and budget!! I have struggled to make bread though, we can never get it to rise the right way, hopefully one of these days we will get it figured out. I think there is so many people who could see huge improvements in their health and budget if they started a few of these ideas! Have a blessed week!!

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  24. Ooh, I haven’t made bread for ages and I really want to now!

    Sewing curtains and napkins is pretty easy as they’re just rectangles. Circle skirts are gorgeous and dead easy too, I’ve got a tutorial on my blog :). Old sheets and table cloths can be a good source of fabric too.

    Seriously wish I could burn 1000 calories doing housework!

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  26. I can handle from #4 down, but bread is tough! We are gluten, dairy, corn and soy free and most of my trials were a disaster. And then they went bad right away. If I could find a good recipe and get it to be edible for my family, I’d like to try again! I can do sewing repairs a tiny bit. The other really difficult one is gardening. I have a big yard but a really brown thumb 🙁

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  27. Bread, sewing, gardening, canning, cooking from scratch, waste less, home improvement…check, check and check. The canning is actually very straightforward and fun. We put up pickled asperagras and different jams and jellies (kiwi, pomegranate, quince) each year from fruits we grow or buy direct from the farmer. And we tend to can stuff that is not readily available that we like (see above).

    Less waste ties right in with cooking from scratch and meal planning. We make up a weekly dinner calendar and cook just enough for the two of us or maybe enough for leftovers lunch the next day. The amount of garbage that goes out each week is way less than it used to be…less packaging if you’re cooking from scratch.

    I guess yard maintenance is part of home improvement and it sure beats going to the gym. Frankly I hate spending money on a gym membership when there are lawns to be mowed, trees need pruning, fruit to pick, compost to turn. Wood to cut or split. You get the idea.

    Most of what I do was either learned from my mother and father or was self-taught. Put sewing, cooking, and home improvement under the latter. And it is very fulfilling to walk through a house that you put effort and sweat into making a home.

    Reply

    • I’ve cooked from scratch (minus a few things like crackers, bread, and a few other snacks) for years. I want to increase it but that part of our waste isn’t bad. I just know I can do even better. 🙂

      I agree it’s nice to know you did the work. We are looking at houses right now and one we are considering has a lot of projects and we’d do most of it ourselves. I know that would make the home seem even more like ours. 🙂

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  28. Great post! It’s reassuring to see that there are so many like-minded people out there! These are all the things I have been doing for as long as I can remember.

    I’ve taught classes in gardening, and now teach Garment Construction. I’ve recently started a website where I plant to teach online. There are about 40 articles on my site right now, and I have many more to write!

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  29. Making your own yogurt (for Greek I strain it with a nut milk bag, super helpful and reusable where cheese cloth is not) isn’t hard either if you like yogurt. I’ve tried making ricotta myself. It was easy, but not cost effective. I use the bread recipe from artisan bread in 5 minutes a day which let’s you keep a batch of dough in your fridge for days to pull off of. It is very convenient.

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  30. I loved reading this! I started doing all of these this year (I even got chickens for my backyard to go with my garden), it definitely makes for a busier, and more healthy lifestyle. One huge thing I am loving, is the time I get to spend with my daughters who are learning with me, even at 2 and four they have their own special chores that make them feel like they are a part of everything.
    If I can learn this stuff, anyone can. I went from knowing how to sew on a patch to making a complete renaissance faire costume in one weekend. Good luck on your skill making journey, I would love to know how your cheese turns out, I never have quite got the knack for that.

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    • I often share things like learning skills with my mailing list so be sure to sign up for that. The link is on the top bar of the page. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed this post.

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      • Hi Lisa
        Great post. You can can!! Know what’s great is if you get a bunch of friends over and do it together. Many recipes make quite a few jars so- if a group of you decide on a couple of different rbi ha and you have a girls canning weekend then you each have a few jars of different things to take home! Do take a sewing Class as that opens so many doors for expansion into different techniques. Many fabric shops hold all sorts of sewing classes and what fun they are too. As for gardening : like I tell my gardeners (I run a community garden) if you’ve had kids the gardening is easy ! And of course go organic and that way it will be the most healthy you’ll probably ever eat as no plastic wrapped veggies, no styrofoam packaging and no toxic sprays. If you have kids they’ll love it too and lots of lessons to be found watching the role of bugs and critters too.
        Best of luck and keep the post going

        Reply

  31. Love this list! I too, love watching the way they lived on little house on the prairie! We do most of the things on this list as well, but I haven’t yet mastered the sewing thing. I can do enough to get by, but I don’t have the patience for how tedious it is.

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  32. Thank you for the article, it’s certainly food for thought, ‘tho’ I can, and did, do pretty much most of this, but sadly, rarely do these days. I’m on my own now so rarely bother with cooking from scratch let alone making preserves etc. I do still try to grow my own veg but this year was a total disaster, mainly down to the slugs and as I now live in a council house (I live in the UK), I get all repairs for free.
    I really need a rocket up my arse or a man who has similar interests to me to fuel those passions again.

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    • You can do it again Tracy. It’s difficult to make the adjustments to our lives especially during the periods of transition (and loss, let’s face it), but just a spark will reignite your own passion for the things you can still do. 1st step is figuring out what you can do and moving ahead on just that one. The Artisan bread recipes that are so popular these days don’t require much of anything besides some flour, salt, yeast, water and a bowl. Well oven of course, although with the right pot, even stove top would work.

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  33. I feel like you missed the mark on this article, I was hoping to see money saving frugal healthy tips like making homemade apple cider vinegar, mayo from pastured eggs and homemade laundry soap and bath soap. JUST my opinion and canning is very easy get the Ball blue book when you start it helps.

    Reply

    • I’m sorry you feel that way. I do share things like this on the blog. It’s impossible to fit everything into one post. I am always adding new content so I hope you will keep visiting to see more.

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  34. Thank you for this handy little list! I have already been implementing most of these into my day to day life and I am glad to see I am not the only one noticing the significant impact they make on our daily life. I will most definitely be sharing this in my blog tomorrow.

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  36. A lot of you sound interested in sewing. Sewing isn’t so hard. Most places that sell you a machine also offer classes. At least enough to get to know your machine and how it works. Take notes, it is amazing how helpful that is. I no longer make my own clothes, but I did from the time I was in high school. Learned from my mom and sisters. Now I’ve discovered quilting, and I no longer bother to make clothes. 😉 Watch the sewing shows on TV like Sewing With Nancy, you will learn a lot. She has lots of shows available to watch on her website NancyZeiman.com.

    I want to learn to make bread.

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  38. I really enjoyed your post, it brought back so many memories from watching my grandmother making “hoecake” (homemade bread) To learning how to sew in my junior high home economics class. I actually do most of the things you were mentioning. Sever all years ago I built myself a captains bed, which was no small task. I would love to share some of my
    experiences with you. All are so much fun.

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  40. Just read this post on Pinterest and it made me smile. I’m nearing seventy and practice regularly everything you list . Had great teachers only Mother and two Grandmothers

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  41. I love to see others passionate about the same things I have been for many years! I was a working girl until 29 & got married (18 years ago now – where does the time go!) first year of marriage was so rough – we agreed I would become a stay-at-home housewife and we would manage on 1 income – I already knew a fair amount of sewing, staying home and having a hungry husband enabled me to really practice cooking and making everything (including ketchup and marshmallow!) from scratch. I practiced bread…but never mastered it – I can do yeast breads and cakes, but we have magnificent bakeries in Austin, i would much rather eat THEIR bread! We are mostly gluten free now anyway 🙁 – With sewing I recommend to start simple with basic patterns first. I learned as a girl playing on my moms machine then took home ec. – was able to sew my own formal for sorority function and things around house as needed – wish I had a big house with a sewing room plus more time. Biggest problem with sewing is the difficulty finding really nice fabrics for home or clothing that are still affordable. I have dabbled in gardening fairly successfully, but it’s challenging in Texas heat – timing is EVERYTHING – my compost is just a pike in the yard because it’s easier for me to turn. I do recommend lining the area with cement squares or something because pur tree roots get in there and make it difficult to dig in. and canning is EASY although I don’t have a pressure canner for veggies …yet. Jelly is super easy (did this in 6th grade) – try making fresh refrigerator jam first before attempting canning it – but it’s so easy you can can small batches of almost anything. The sugars help “preserve” – so jams are easier and prevent bacteria so very less likely to kill your family 😉 – I’ve done some fresh cheese & also fermentation of veg (sauerkraut) – and vinegars – it is ALL pretty easy but does take time – which is the beauty of it I think… unfortunately it also takes up space – but it’s very economical – I rarely spend a lot of $ on any of my projects. I worked on all this “learning” as my husband and I also completely renovated our 1949 Austin bungalow! Best of luck to you…it just takes passion and a bit of courage …which you already possess obviously.

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  42. Aww, Lisa, you had me at Little House on the Prairie! I loved reading Laura Ingalls Wilder books when I was growing up (and watching the TV show too), but I didn’t start doing things like canning until I had my own kids. I think I’ve done almost all on your list, but only make bread in the winter, because it heats up the house too much, and in Florida, we have enough heat already. Have you tried making a rag rug or woven rug yet? I’m dying to try looming- the kids did a little one in their school art class and it was pretty neat. Love your site, btw 🙂

    Reply

    • I hear you about bread heating up the house! We’ve been lucky this summer in Oklahoma but so many years we are 100+ for days. I haven’t done a rug yet, sounds like fun. I love rag rugs. And thank you so much for your kind words about my site.

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  43. Good article. May I suggest that you check out your local cooperative extension service. I took canning classes through them for very little money. They were hands on classes. They had a whole series of classes on homesteading skills. They were wonderful and I took them all. I grew up in the 50’s and use most of these skills.

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  44. Lisa, all these things can be a lot of fun, too! I do more freezing than canning, but both are great. And anyone who wants to get into making their own bread should visit my blog, ’cause I’m all about the bread, baby! I make real wild yeast sourdough bread twice a week and other breads in between time. Sewing is something I used to do a lot of and need to get back into. In recent years I’ve just made curtains and pillows and things like that. Need to get back into sewing clothing.

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  45. You could try making ricotta today it is so quick and easy (I think it would be the easiest cheese you can make). Recipe on internet. If you don’t have a thermometer the milk is hot enough when it’s just starting to foam but before it boils. Only takes about an hour and there is very little work involved. I actually found it kind of fun.
    I wanted to make my own clothes but found it far too expensive.

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  46. I love all your suggestions, I have never tried to make my own bread but it’s on my list of things to learn. I also think quilting is a skill to learn. I make a lot of quilts, throws, baby blankets, pillows. I have always given them as gifts. But if your homesteading or living off grid, this is something that would be helpful for personal use or for making money. Everyone needs a blanket/quilt. It doesn’t have to be a fancy design just a simple block pattern can be beautiful. And if given as a gift it will be more cherished than something you go out and buy with not much thought.

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  47. Fresh bread- and fresh food from your garden- is the best. Nothing beats it <3 And sewing's just plain fun! Even without the benefits for your pocketbook, more people should definitely take these up just because they're rewarding things to do.

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  50. Awsome post, thanks for sharing. I used to make my own pasta when still in Europe. My grate aunt thought me.
    As I was reading your story, memories came back, in our family canning was a hit. I am not an expert in that, maybe one day.

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  51. Ladies, canning is time consuming but actually botulism is so very hard to do! Using scrupulously
    clean jars and follow canning instructions as to time of water bath and right temps while imperative is really easy to accomplish when you have the right equipment. If I can do it then anyone can. I now use my pressure cooker to can most things. Using rings over and new lids each time will assure you great results. I never can meats but I know many do. I use my dehydrator for meats like chicken. Start slowly and can fruits and vegetables. Really, it is easy. The first time may be daunting but after that you will wonder why you waited so long. Once you do you will never turn back. Good luck and have fun at it!

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  52. Hi, First off, I absolutely love your blog. I live this way the best that I can. I am going to add more “retro living” to my daily life.
    You will love growing your own garden. I am a tomato kinda gal. Love them. But, only home grown. I can not for the life of me eat a store bought “fresh” tomato. Nor can I eat canned ones from the store. Have you seen all the bits and pieces they throw in the can. Nope. Not for me. Lol. Once you decide to learn to can, you will never want store bought stuff again. I promise. It’s really not hard. The scariest part for me was when I had to use pressure the first time. But, now… shoot, I’m a whizz at it. ?
    I hope you learn how.

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  53. I bought a ball blue book and taught myself to can. With many trial and errors, but I learned, since experience is the best teacher. The best advice I can give someone afraid to try canning is “just do it”. Just pick a simple recipe and get started. I started making jam, and water bath canning isn’t as scary. Once your comfortable with that, then try more complicated recipes and then move into pressure canning. There are many great videos on YouTube bout canning and they show you step by step everything you need to do. You will be so proud once you’ve done it. It is a lot of work, but there’s such a sense of pride when you are finished and you look at the product you created. Not to mention that you know exactly what goes into your product and the taste is so much better, without all their preservatives!

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  54. I love this! I sew my children’s clothes (they’re 6 and 3). I honestly get the cheap precuts at Walmart $4 for 4 yards and make as much as I can out of them; shirts, shorts, leggings, pjs, underwear, socks for both kids. Whatever I can get out of it lol. That fabric isn’t the greatest, but the kids grow so quickly it lasts long enough to be hand-me-downs too. When my husband or I need something new I use that fabric for a mockup to see if I have everything the right size then I buy a hardy fabric that will last. We end up with 2 shirts or whatever that way, one that probably won’t last super long and one that will. The only down side is it’s a pain when it comes to sorting laundry bc everyone has something the same print haha! One fabric became boxers for my husband, a tank top for myself, under wear for both kids, and a dress for my oldest for example hahaha!!

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