what do you DIY that saves $$$

[jessaroo]

What things do you make yourself that help save money?

I grow my own sprouts, make my own baby wipes, can jam...

[LeighB]

I make our own baby wipes, cook from scratch if that counts as DIY, I always make gifts if I need to give them, and I made my dd's entire pants wardrobe out of old t-shirts.

I've never calculated how much we save, but I know I couldn't afford to not do any of those things.

[sugarlumpkin]

My DH works on our cars--he does everything from changing the oil to putting on new tires. This saves us LOTS of money every year.

[p1gg1e]

:

[mysticmomma]

Originally Posted by LeighB

I make our own baby wipes, cook from scratch if that counts as DIY, I always make gifts if I need to give them, and I made my dd's entire pants wardrobe out of old t-shirts.

I've never calculated how much we save, but I know I couldn't afford to not do any of those things.

directions please?

[FillingMyQuiver]

Originally Posted by mysticmomma

directions please?

Not the pp, but here ya go:

http://www.rookiemoms.com/make-some-easy-kids-pants/

[Magelet]

:

[slsurface]

1) I make 95% of our food from scratch (Such as: bread, pitas, graham crackers, yogurt, and chicken stock. I even make our hot cocoa mix from scratch.)
2) I grow and dry my own herbs
3) I can preserves, apple butter, fruit, pie filling, relish, and salsa
4) I make my own bath soap and spa products
5) DH does most auto and motorcycle maintenance
6) Home renovation projects we've done together: new windows upstairs, paint interior of house, installed glass block and vents in basement windows, landscaped back yard and built to patios, misc bathroom and kitchen plumbing updates, installed new bathtub and tiled surround, installed new kitchen floor, etc...
7) I make 95% of our gifts and cards
8) I knit and sew clothes for the family
9) I knit and sew toys for DS
10) I make my own cleaning solutions
11) I sew pocket diapers for DS, as well as wipes and mama cloth
12) We shovel our own snow and mow/maintain our own yard
...that's all I can think of right now...

Like LeighB, I do most of these things out of necessity. Our budget is very tight.

[nadia105]

Originally Posted by FillingMyQuiver

Not the pp, but here ya go:

http://www.rookiemoms.com/make-some-easy-kids-pants/

Fabulous, but so simple! I never would have thought of that!

[LoMaH]

Here's one not mentioned on this thread yet:
Haircuts (manicures/pedicures) at home.

[cristina47454]

Does making baby wipes really save that much money? I have 5 mo old and use a $7 bag of wipes a month. (just bought some at Rite Aid at the beginning of the month and am not even half way through them). I like the idea of making them, but wonder how much I'd really save...

[FillingMyQuiver]

Originally Posted by cristina47454

Does making baby wipes really save that much money? I have 5 mo old and use a $7 bag of wipes a month. (just bought some at Rite Aid at the beginning of the month and am not even half way through them). I like the idea of making them, but wonder how much I'd really save...

A lot of mamas make their own cloth baby wipes using extra fabric they have lying around, like those flannel receiving blankets you get a ton of or old t-shirts, etc.

Think of it this way, your LO may be in diapers for 2yrs (24mo) If you started now, that would be 19mo using cloth wipes, at $7/mo saved, over the course of diapering, you save $133 for that 1 child. Have more LOs, save more.

[LeighB]

Originally Posted by FillingMyQuiver

Not the pp, but here ya go:

http://www.rookiemoms.com/make-some-easy-kids-pants/

Yep, that's about how I do them! I love it because you can account for cloth diaper bottoms.

I think cloth wipes saves me about $5 a month. Not a ton, but all those things add up. And Dd never gets rashes anymore.

[paulam]

Great idea for a topic :

[cristina47454]

Ahhh...cloth wipes...all the DIY sites I found talked about using paper towels.

[cappuccinosmom]

My dh is the DIY guy.

Yesterday he rented a chain saw (having never used one before) and cut up a huge tree that had fallen on our property. Cost him $60, when calling a company would have cost us $200+.

He fixed our dishwasher in our previous house with his toolbox and a piece of wire.

He does all kinds of plumbing stuff in order to avoid paying the huge amounts actual plumbers want.

He's pretty amazing, actually.

I do small stuff, like cooking from scratch and making homemade gifts etc. I discovered knit booties and hat sets are a hit for baby gifts, as are scrap quilts. All from materials that were free to me or thrift-store bins.

[MsHiss]

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[p1gg1e]

Just in case you want disposable wipes. I hear Viva paper towels ( roll cut in half) works the bast. Sometimes there is a poop I don't want to wash

[CameronsMama]

I agree this is a great topic, Im hoping I can get even more ideas here!

I cut ds and Dh's hair myself, and I often have my mom cut mine for me. Dh is a mechanic so of course he does all our car maintenance and repair. Dh and I are both relatively handy so we do most of the basic home repair and upgrades ourselves, and dh fixes all things mechanical so he fixes things like lawnmowers etc instead of replacing them. I've been getting better at sewing and knitting so I've been able to save money recently by making things for us and by repairing things that I previously would have just replaced. I've learned a lot of neat diy decorating type stuff from watching hgtv while ds naps I haven't put much ofthat to use around here yet, but I will when we start working on the house this spring.

[KariM]

- Grow our own fruits & veggies - we then can, freeze, or dehydrate the food
- Sew - toys, clothing, slippers, soft shoes, mama pads, cloth wipes, etc.
- Repurpose old clothing into new stuff
- Cut hair (DH's, DS's, DD1's)
- Do our own home repairs (we've done basic carpentry, drywall, painting, plumbing, electrical, etc)
- Cook from scratch (make foods that are often bought prepared, give foods as gifts, etc)
- Make cleaning supplies from basic ingredients
- Make lip balm/sugar scrubs/etc.
- Do our own landscaping/yard care
- Help a local farmer in exchange for chickens