Site Archives gardening

Alternative Uses for Plastic Storage Containers


Over the years I’ve grown wary of using plastic containers for food storage and cooking. Concerns over BPA and other chemicals that leach from plastics have made me shift from plastic to glass or ceramic cookware for most of my cooking and storage needs. That leaves me with a cabinet full of plastic ware that [...]

Front Yard Garden: Your Frugality Is Nobody Else’s Business


The big news in my neighborhood this year is that someone has planted a vegetable garden in their front yard. Gasp! More than a few of the neighbors are bent out of shape about it, saying that gardens belong only in the backyard. However, the neighbor in question has a problem with that. The way [...]

The Frugal Benefits of a Regular Schedule


When I was in college and, later, working my first jobs, I never had a regular schedule. The jobs I had back then were either temporary or service oriented. Sometimes I’d work nights, sometimes days, and sometimes both. I worked holidays, weekends, and other times when no one else could or would work. It wasn’t [...]

Two Resolutions in One: Weight Loss and Saving Money


If you’re like many people, you’ll be making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, save more money, or both. If you’re trying to do both, the good news is that weight loss and saving money often go hand in hand. It’s like accomplishing two resolutions at once. Even if you only choose one, chances [...]

Low Cost Stress Relief


Recently I went through a very stressful period in my life. I usually handle stress pretty well, but for some reason this time was different. The stress was making me ill. I had gastric problems related to the stress, I got migraines for the first time, and I started grinding my teeth at night, ruining [...]

Does Gardening Really Save You Money?


Interest in gardening is on the rise as people, fed up with rising prices and declining safety and quality standards, seek to produce more of their own food. Even the President has started a garden at the White House. While there is little argument that a properly tended garden raised without a lot of pesticides [...]

Save When You Garden Together


We had a rare spring-like day this week – sunny and warm enough to shed the winter jacket for a bit. It was also the same day my favorite seed catalog arrived in the mail. Coincidence? I think not! Garden season is close. Gardening has always seemed to me like a thrifty three-fer: exercise, time [...]