5 Frugal Tips from Ma Ingalls and the Pioneers

November 18, 2015 by Melissa Norris 15 Comments

Ma and Laura Ingalls didn't run to town to browse the shoe department or find just the right top for that weekend's barn raising. They didn't need to dedicate a day to their overflowing closet so they could declutter, donate and reorganize their clothing.

(Lest you think I'm being judgey, this is a confession sentence, but I did have a Ma Ingalls moment, keep reading, so it's a good thing) There was no need for shoe organizers.

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Learn these 5 frugal tips from Ma Ingalls and the pioneers. I love tip number 3 and 4. Great way to save money and be more self-sufficient for anyone!

This post is sponsored by Little House on the Prairie® Andover Fabric Collections

The pioneers usually had two pairs of shoes at most. One every day pair, but during summer months, shoes were optional. Actually, most little feet never touched a shoe during the summer, except for Sunday service.

When I was young I could run bare foot over the rocks and not wince… is it a sign of old age when one can no longer do this? Or a sign of not going bare foot enough? I like the second one better.

We tend to be a society who has too much and throws away too much. Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but we're constantly on a treadmill of wanting more, but never really being satisfied with the more, which is why we have to make room for the more by throwing out what we have.

I realize this isn't everyone, but I've fallen into this. When I was little, we didn't have a very much money and my mother made most of my clothes. Of course, I wanted to fit in with the rest of the kids and that meant store bought clothes.

From the time I was fourteen-years-old I started working and bought most of my own clothes. Because I used the money I had earned, I became an expert clearance rack and thrift store fashionista.

However, this still resulted in too many clothes. So back to the thrift store many of them would go, and I'd go in to find more.

The pioneers, Ma and Laura Ingalls, only had a few items of clothing. You had your Sunday best, which was only worn for Sunday or a very special occasion, maybe two day dresses, and usually one chore dress.

While most of us aren't going to only have a total of four outfits, we can learn a lot from them and put it into practice.

5 Frugal Tips from Ma Ingalls and the Pioneers

Only keep what you wear. Sounds too simple, right? Really go through your closet and keep only what you wear on a consistent basis. I have one dress that I've worn twice in three years. Twice. We have a free clothing giveaway at our church twice a year and I put it into the bag.
Now, if you're like me and you have seasons, I do pack away my summer clothes and bring them back out when summer hits (usually July 5th here in the Pacific Northwest).
Re-purpose the clothing. This is where a pioneer minded person's list will differ. For those of us who are frugal minded, we know there's a lot we can do with an item other than its intended use. Fabric is expensive. Ma Ingalls knew she could take her dress and cut it down into a dress for one of her girls or cut up the parts of the dress that weren't too worn and put them in her scrap bag. (You do have a scrap bag of material, right?) I know it's old-fashioned, but I've had one since I was eight years old…. yes, I just confirmed I'm an old soul.Could you take that dress and turn it into a skirt? How about making those pants into a purse? What about cutting that shirt down into a dress for your daughter?Recently, I took two old sweaters and turned them into a hat, fingerless gloves, an infinity cowl scarf, and two sets of boot socks for myself and my daughter. (Ya know I've got the how-to for you 6 DIY Old Sweater Projects You Have to Make)
Learn some basic mending/sewing skills. I am not a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination. But, I can sew a seam, gather fabric, and mend a hole. If you can sew a straight seam (confession: sometimes mine aren't all that straight, much to my mother's chagrin), you can do quite a bit.A straight basic stitch will allow you take hem a pair of pants or skirt. Are you not wearing the item because it doesn't fit right? If you can gather fabric, you can bring in a waist line. Many times my kids will rip their pants on the seam and instead of tossing them out, I can sew it back up in a few minutes.
Take quilting to a new level. Quilting is something the pioneers did because it allowed them to take smaller bits of fabric and turn into something both beautiful and useful. It was the original creativity outlet and artistry for the pioneer woman.She might not have been able to take art classes or decorate her home like we do now, but she could create practical beauty with her blankets.You might not have a lot of one pattern of fabric, but by piecing together different patterns, you can create a large piece.

My mother helped me sew this dress for my daughter out of fat quarters I received for free from the new Little House on the Prairie® Andover Fabrics Collection.We pieced together the skirt by cutting strips from each quarter. We didn't have quite enough, so I went to my scrap bag (actually, it's a wicker basket) and found the bottom strip of fabric from my very first quilt project when I was…. eight years old.You can use this same process to make a skirt, a pillow, or of course, a quilt.
Don't let fear or perfectionism stand in your way. I've had a a sweater and two shirts set aside to either re-purpose or alter for way longer than I care to admit (and see how I didn't actually admit to how many months right there?) I was scared I'd totally mess it up.We only learn by doing.The seam ripper will be your friend! Apparently I thought my waist was way smaller than it is, because the first shirt I brought in wouldn't even button after I was done. So I got to rip out both seams and start over.That's okay! The second time, I measured wrong and my waist started an inch lower on one side. Third time was a charm.Usually, you can always take it out and start over. I leave plenty of extra fabric whenever I cut and don't trim it away until I know it's going to fit/look okay. I'm sure with time I'll get better at this, but we don't get better unless we're actually doing.

Resources for 5 Frugal Tips from Ma Ingalls

Want your own Little House on the Prairie® Andover Fabrics? Here's a store locator so you can find it near you –>http://www.andoverfabrics.com/LHOTP_Locator.php

While a sewing machine will allow you to sew faster and do more, just having a basic or beginners sewing kit will allow you to do quite a bit. Premium Beginners First Sewing Kit

Now, a sewing machine will let you do way more! It's why the pioneer women were so thrilled when the treadle machines first came out. This is an excellent brand. I have a forty-year-old used version of this. Brother's Sewing Machine, including quilting table and auto-sized buttonholes.

More Recipes and Tips to Live Like the Pioneers

6 Rules for Bartering Success

September 21, 2015 by Melissa Norris 6 Comments

Learn how to purchase goods like our great-great-grandparents did with the old-fashioned art of bartering. These 6 rules will help you make the best deals and learn where to begin bartering in your area. Love these old timey tips, good for being prepared, too.

Bartering is a life skill our ancestors knew how to use and used often, but in today's society, bartering isn't as common practice as it used to be. However, bartering is a skill still used by many and is definitely something any self-respecting homesteader, preparedness, or self-sufficiency person will want in their tool chest.

Bartering is simply using something you posses in exchange for something someone else has. Actually, it's the same thing as using money, because we've put a value on money ( though the value of our money today is definitely up for debate) and set the value of the item we're buying at a certain amount. However, for the sake of this article and most references to bartering, it is the means of exchanging goods without money.

Watching someone experienced with bartering is like watching a skilled dancer and partner go through an intricate dance so effortlessly, you don't realize how hard the dance is until you try it for yourself, and discover you not only step on your partner's toes, but your own as well. Of if you me, you might end up tripping yourself.

My father grew up during the Great Depression and has bartering skills like no other I've seen. He learned from people where this was a way of life, when people didn't have money, but they had other things and got by just fine without it. Credit cards were unheard of and purchasing things on credit has never been something my father has ever practiced.

He's never demanding or rude, but can move through the negotiations smoother than freshly spun silk. Even witnessing his negotiations my whole life, I still don't have his depth of skill and have even had him go with us when we purchased a used truck last year.

But, I have learned a lot from watching his negotiations and want to share those with you.

6 Rules for Bartering Success

First rule of bartering, you have to have something someone else considers valuable. You can't come to the table without anything to offer.

However, it doesn't necessarily have to be something that's tangible. You can barter a skill set in exchange for another skill set. For example, you might know how to fall a tree, but need help with some electrical work. Your neighbor or an acquaintance is an electrician who needs a tree fell on his property. You agree to fall the tree and he agrees to wire your shed for you or install a new light on your house.

Neither of you actually bartered an item, but a service, a skill set. We've used this type of bartering many a time.

It can also be a combination of skill set traded for an item or help. For example, we had a large amount of fire wood, more than my husband and I could chop, stack, and clean up. So we offered our neighbor some of the wood if he helped us chop it up in exchange for his help. Worked great!

Second rule of bartering, both parties need to feel that they received a good deal. Nobody likes to feel like they got the short end of the stick. And if you plan on staying in an area and bartering, you don't want to be known as a cheat or someone who is unfair, at least, I wouldn't. You'll find it harder to find someone to barter with and frankly, I don't think any of us want to be known as someone who takes advantage of others.

Now, you might be bartering something that you don't have much use for or doesn't seem important to you, but if the other person places a high value on it, then they're going to be thrilled with deal. It's all in the eye of the beholder, right?

Third rule, know what you value the item at. In other words, know what you're willing to take for the item and what you're not before you begin bartering, and don't budge. Sometimes, in the heat of the barter, you might take less or make a trade for less than you really want. If you tell yourself ahead of time, you're less likely to budge from what you want.

This doesn't necessarily mean the dollar value of an item, but what you're willing to exchange it for. Say you have a saddle, but no longer have a horse or ride anymore, you might have paid several hundred (or thousands, depending upon the saddle) dollars for this saddle, but it's useless to you at the moment. However, you might really be in need of a tiller for your garden. So even if the tiller is less expensive than your saddle, you'd be willing to trade because the tiller is much more valuable to you than the saddle, especially when you count in the amount of food you'll be able to grow on the newly tilled land.

Fourth rule, don't be in a huge hurry. There's a certain art to negotiation and it often involves several back and fourths, though not always. If you already determined what you'll take for the item, and the person you're bartering with isn't willing to give you what you want, be okay with walking away. You might find something better to barter on or the person may see you're not budging and come back and accept your deal.

Fifth rule, let the other person present the first offer. If possible, let the other person offer up the first terms of the bargain or negotiation. This lets you know how much they value your item at and what value they're putting on their own and gives you a bit of an advantage. It's not always possible and doesn't mean if you go first that you'll end up on the lower end of the deal, but if possible, see if the other party will go first.

Sixth rule, don't show your excitement too soon. I'm horrible at playing poker. I wear my emotions on my face and if I really want something, it's hard for me not to show it. But when bartering, you don't want to show too much enthusiasm too fast, as not all people adhere to our second rule and play fair. If you show you really want an item, they might drive a harder bargain than they would have previously.

Where to barter?

There are many places to barter, even more so now with social media and the internet. There are usually bartering groups for your county or city on Facebook.

There are often swap meets or bartering fairs in cities. Flea markets are another place you can barter.

A reader shared with me there was a bartering fair in a wooded area near his home. There were blankets and other handmade goods available for barter, but the most sought after item for bartering were 100 pound bags of wheat. And if you've been following our food storage series, you know wheat is an item I recommend stocking up on, and in bulk (6 Tips for Buying Food in Bulk)

Check the local section of newspapers or bulletin boards for bartering places or meetings.

Never be afraid to ask someone if they're willing to barter or accept something else in exchange for an item. You'll never know unless you ask.

Do you have any tips for bartering?

Healthy Carrot Cookie Recipe from WW2 & Great-Grandma

June 25, 2015 by Andrea Sabean 25 Comments

A carrot cookie recipe from WW2 that only doesn't use any refined sugar and comes straight from Great-grandma's recipe box, yes please.

Most vintage recipes use frugal and real food ingredients, making them healthier for us and lighter on the pocket book. One of my favorite things about vintage recipes is the stories behind them. Andrea has been taking us through her great-grandmother's recipe collection from the 1930's and 1940's.

Anyone else have a love affair with this time period and all things vintage? I can't help but love this is a WW2 carrot recipe. Often though a lowly root vegetable, carrots are a great addition to baked goods with providing both moisture and flavor.

Many of us have vegetables coming along in the garden so this a fabulous recipe to put to work with what you have. It calls for carrots, but I might try playing around with some zucchini or even pumpkin. If you missed the other parts in this fabulous series (Andrea, huge thank you for sharing your families treasures with the rest of us) check out Frugal Kitchen Tips from 1913 and Historical Recipe: Honey Date Squares

If you're looking for a carrot cake cookie recipe, you'll still want to try these, but don't expect them to taste like carrot cake. These healthy carrot cookies are more like an oatmeal cookie in texture.

Andrea~

This recipe for oatmeal carrot raisin cookies is another 1940's find from my great-grandmother's collection. Sweetened with honey, and full of raisins, nuts, carrots, and oats. Breakfast cookies are totally a thing, especially a carrot breakfast cookie because veggies, right?

And to up the health factor, though traditionally made with pastry flour, they turn out equally as well with whole wheat pastry four, spelt flour, or a gluten-free blend. Walnuts and pecans are both good choices for the nuts.

Don't be afraid to make these your own. And if you need to be nut free, feel free to leave them out.

How to use fresh ground Spelt flour in carrot cookies

I love using spelt flour in my baking because spelt is an ancient grain that has a higher protein count but less gluten,who doesn't love all that, right?

However, I've always have to increase the amount of spelt flour by an extra quarter cup to 1 cup of regular flour, so if you make this recipe with spelt flour, you may need to add an extra 1/2 cup of flour, using 2 and 1/2 cups total. I usually start with the regular amount, but if it feels to wet or doughy, I add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup until if feels correct.

Want to bake these healthy carrot cookies with fresh ground flour? Check out my Best Flour for Baking- Home Baker’s Flour Guide 101

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Carrot Cookies Recipe

Mix together flour, baking powder, and spices and set aside.
Cream together butter or oil and carrot. Beat in baking soda, honey, and eggs.
Stir in raisins, nuts, and oats.
Add dry ingredients to carrot mixture and mix until combined.
Drop by spoonfuls on greased or lined pans and bake at 350 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes. (The original recipe calls for 15 minutes, but I found mine were done by 12 and over-browned by 15)
Cool on a wire rack.

Print version of healthy carrot cookie recipe

Carrot Cookies Recipe WW2

MelissaKNorris

This carrot cookies recipe is not only healthy (no refined sugar) but is also hales from WW2 making it an old-fashioned delicious dessert or snack every house should have on hand… or in the cookie jar!

4.28 from 33 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 7 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 19 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings cookies

Ingredients

2 cups flour whole wheat pastry, spelt, or gluten-free blend
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup softened butter or coconut oil
1 cup grated raw carrot
¼ tsp baking soda
¾ cup honey
2 eggs well beaten
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 cups rolled oats

Instructions

Mix together flour, baking powder, and spices and set aside.
Cream together butter or oil and carrot. Beat in baking soda, honey, and eggs.
Stir in raisins, nuts, and oats.
Add dry ingredients to carrot mixture and mix until combined.
Drop by spoonfuls on greased or lined pans and bake at 350 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes.

Notes

Feel free to sub in your favorite flour for these healthy carrot cookies, we love ancient grains but a gluten free blend of equal parts almond flour, coconut flour, and ground golden flax meal is our at home go to.

Keyword carrot cookies recipe healthy carrot cookie carrot cookie recipe WW2

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

The original carrot cookies recipe was published in a victory economy bulletin by the Lakeside Milling Company of Toronto, Canada.

Homemade Crackers-Versatile and Frugal Appetizer

December 18, 2013 by Melissa Norris 11 Comments

Versatile and frugal. Make a batch for less than $.50 Recipe at www.MelissaKNorris.com

The holidays often stretch budgets and one of the places most of us can stand to spend less is on our grocery bill. Last month, I put into place some new policies and I only spent $330 on groceries for a family of four (this is with toiletries), including a turkey and ham for Thanksgiving dinner. When I shared this on my Facebook page, many of you expressed interest in how I managed this.

I'll be going into greater detail and how to's as we head into the new year, so make sure you sign up to receive new blog posts straight to your email so you don't miss it.

Homemade crackers for less than $.50 Recipe at www.MelissaKNorris.com

One of the ways I was able to accomplish this is by not buying processed pre-packaged snack food. A box of Wheat Thins® can cost $4.69. I made this batch of crackers for about $.40. To be the same amount as a store bought box, you'd need to double the batch, but it still would come in at less than a $1.00.

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5 Frugal Tips from Ma Ingalls and the Pioneers

Resources for 5 Frugal Tips from Ma Ingalls

More Recipes and Tips to Live Like the Pioneers

6 Rules for Bartering Success

How to use fresh ground Spelt flour in carrot cookies

Want more homemade recipes with real food ingredients that take less than 15 minutes?

Carrot Cookies Recipe

Carrot Cookies Recipe WW2

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions

Notes

Grow Your Own Food In-Person Worksop

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Ingredients