9 Ways to Save Money During Inflation (Homesteader Edition)

We have all been feeling that crunch with rising costs of gas and groceries, but what if you didn’t have to? What if you could be more self reliant? That is what homesteading is all about! Today we are going to share 9 ways to save money during inflation on your homestead.

There are so many ways to save money that are often overlooked and under utilized. When prices start going up at the market people start to go into panic mode. But what if you didn’t have to panic or stress about rising costs? What if you could still feed and support your family during rough times through your ability to be self sustaining? Doesn’t that sound wonderful?!

That is why we have put together this list of 9 simple ways to save money during inflation. Each of these steps allows you to get a little closer to your goal of self reliance and sustainability.

1. Grow Your Own Food

This one may seem like a given, but growing your own food is the first step in stepping away from the supply chain cycle. In 2020 more than 20 million American’s began growing their own food. While Covid had a lot to do with it, the increase in at home food growth has been going on since around 2009.

While growing your own food at home may be more “work” it is far less expensive and far better tasting. For example, one tomato at the store may run you $1.25 while a seed packet that can grow hundreds of tomato plants costs you the same amount plus a little time.

Not only does growing your own food cost significantly less, the increased time in the sunshine will also make your worries wash away. Stress from high inflation costs is increased by screen time and lack of vitamin D, so you are really killing two birds with one stone on this tip!

Check out some of our favorite posts on growing your own food to learn more!

• Starting Your Homestead Garden
• Canning Tips to Make Your Harvest Easier
• Seed Saving
• Garden Hacks- Seedling Containers

2. Use What You Have

This one is a hard one for me to sometimes follow, but it is such a great money saver. Use what you have before buying something new.

If this home renovation during Covid has taught me anything it is that you have to use the materials readily available to you if you want to stay within a budget.

Trash is Sometime Treasure

We painstakingly removed every board, pulled nails from every scrap, and stored away old metal as we moved through this home renovation project of our 1850’s cabin turned farmhouse. Why? Because resources are limited within supply chain at the moment which is driving material costs through the roof. It is estimated that there has been a 17.5% increase in building costs since the start of the pandemic.

The pandemic has not only affected and continues to affect building costs, but all costs which is why using materials you have on hand is absolutely crucial to saving money during inflation.

Some ways we have done this are through the use of saved materials from the original structure of the home. We saved all kitchen counters to move into a canning shed later on this year. We also saved any cut 2x4s used in framing to be used later on when we begin building sheds and coops for our animals. I have also brought this concept into my garden through seed saving and using “trash” as seed containers.

Save Money by Giving Yesterday’s Leftovers a Facelift

I also use the food that we have on hand and work to reimagine what it could be for later meals in the week which helps to cut down on food waste. Some of these things include turning potato dishes into potato soup or repurposing cooked meats and veggies into one of my favorite dishes, Refrigerator Soup.

Creativity is key when repurposing items for new uses. So before you throw it out, take a good look at it and ask yourself “with a little creativity, what could this be used for?”

3. Buy Reusable Products

This is something that I thought very little of when I was younger. I grew up in the 90’s, the decade of plastics and disposables or at least that is what I remember. To be honest, the first two years of my twin’s life I used disposable plates so I didn’t have to wash dishes all the time.

While I am not proud to say it, there is still some waste in my home, but I am actively working to find new and better solutions that not only reduce waste but make it easy and convenient to do so.

Not only does buying reusable products help the environment, but they can also help your pocketbook during inflation. Some of my favorite reusable products are home care products that many families consume in high quantity. So let’s do a this for that comparison of some of my favorites.

Exchange Dryer Sheets for Reusable Dryer Balls

This one is my favorite. Not only does this save on money, but it also saves on allergies at my house. Dryer sheets purchased at the store are loaded with chemicals that can cause allergies to flair up, but with reusable dryer balls we don’t have that issue

Dryer sheets cost about $10 for about 120 loads while many dryer ball sets are under $15 and last up to 5 years of drying! Dryer balls are also made of natural materials where as dryer sheets again are chock full of chemicals to help you clothes “smell good”

Need a scent booster? Add in some natural essential oils!

Exchange Paper Towels for Cloth

I am guilty of this one, but am working to get this habit out of my system. Paper towels can simply be replaced by using hand towels to clean up messes around the house. Not only are cloth towels more environmentally friendly, but they also are so much more absorbent making them a more effective picker upper.

Using cloth towels may raise your need for laundry a bit, but that is why exchange number one is a keeper!

Exchange Plastic Cling Wrap for Reusable Beeswax Paper

I love this so much! I found out about reusable Beeswax paper a few months back and think it is the greatest idea!

My family doesn’t use plastic wrap often, but this is such a great sustainable and reusable option that can save you money in the long run!

For around $15 you can get multiple sizes of beeswax paper that will last you up to a year! A box of plastic wrap will cost you about $8 but isn’t reusable, so in the long run you definitely get more band for your buck. Plus you are supporting pollinators!

4. Limit Travel and Group Errands

Since working from home, this one has been a lot easier for us here at the homestead, however my kids are in a lot of activities like 4H, sports, and loving to go to their Mawmaw’s house. These little things all add up when you live 20 minutes from town and an hour from your momma!

I have learned to plan my travel ahead. If I know I am going into town I go ahead and put in an order for grocery pick up (best thing that came out of Covid for me). This grouping of tasks saves me a lot of money in the long run.

5. Buy in Bulk

I know sometimes it can be hard to front the money to buy in bulk, but if you can swing it you can definitely save money in the long run. Any non-perishable item is a great buy in bulk option.

Animal feed is also a great buy in bulk item as oftentimes you get steep discounts on buying in bulk. Just remember to protect your investment from mice and critters!

6. Cut Out Subscriptions and Build a Budget

One great way to save money is to sit down with your financial statements and uncover where your money is really going. With the surge in mobile banking options, balancing a checkbook has really become almost obsolete. I personally only know one person that still does this and that is my momma.

Mobile banking and auto pay is super convenient, but you begin to lose line of site to where your money is actually going. It is a good idea to sit down at a minimum one time per year and discover where your money is really going.

The question you should be asking yourself is “does this bring value to my family or me?” if the answer is no then it goes.

For us, things like television really don’t bring a ton of value so those are items we can either cut back on or get rid of all together.

There are also the items that you may really love, but need to cut for a short while. For me I cut out my Audible subscription. Not because I don’t love audible and it really does bring value to me personally, but because there are other ways for me to listen to content that I love. So instead of $15 a month to purchase an audio book, I read a paperback and listen to free podcasts instead.

When you sit down and really think about where your money is going, you will find you are wasting more than you may have realized.

7. Get Money Back and Save It

I am not a coupon-er by nature. I honestly hate to sit down and clip coupons. Not my jam, but I know a lot of people that really love it. It is a thrill for them. If you are one of those people, my hat is off to you my friend!

For me I like to keep it simple, I use Ibotta and other cash back apps for groceries (this is not a promotion y’all, I have no affiliation with this company other than that I use their app) and my credit card that gets points back for every day purchases. My bank account is also an interest bearing checking account.

These small choices help to save big money over time that I really don’t have to work for.

Cash back apps

Ibotta is basically an app that connects to the store I wish to shop. I select offers for money back on items I am shopping for. Then I go purchase them and Ibotta gives me money back. I can then “cash out” that money for gift cards to our favorite stores. I use it to buy more groceries usually. On average I save about $150 a year which isn’t a ton, but when inflation is knocking at your door the little time I spend selecting items I am going to purchase anyways is well worth it.

There are a ton of cash back apps out there for every day purchases. There is even a gas app called GetUpside that can save you money on the gas you are purchasing.

Use Credit with Care

Credit cards that use a points reward system are great because you are going to likely be spending money anyways, so why not get rewarded. We use our card for everyday purchases, pay it off immediately to avoid finance charges, and save our reward points for substantial money back.

We have used these points to help offset some of the costs of the finishing products of the farmhouse. They are purchases that need to be made, so why not get rewarded when purchasing!

8. Barter and Trade

This one may sounds silly to folks or sound like I am pulling a page from a history book, but bartering and trading is a great way to get the resources you need while not spending money and managing the resources you have an abundance of.

This is why community is so important in the homesteading world. I can’t produce everything, but my neighbor may have something that I need and I may have something she can use. By trading resources we save one another money and a trip to the store.

9. Find Alternatives for Entertainment

We are a society that loves to be entertained. The problem with that is that during inflation the price of entertainment goes up along with everything else. Not only does the cost of the entertainment go up, but so do all of the associated costs as well like travel and food.

There are so many free alternatives to traditional entertainment out there. Instead of taking a cruise, visit a national forest that has a lake and spend the days enjoying the sun and hiking the paths. You could also go take a bike ride instead of paying for a gym membership. Instead of going to a broadway show, support local theaters that likely have cheaper admissions or potentially free admissions.

There are a million things to do in this great big ol’ world that don’t cost much money, but create wonderful memories.

You can also check out our post on fun things to do with kids that run through a bunch of inexpensive entertainment ideas for your kids this summer.

Save and Be Merry

We hope that you have found some useful tips in this post. We would love to hear from you in the comments if you have any other hacks on how to save money during inflation. If we can all work together as a collective team, we will make it through to the other side ya’ll.

Don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and Facebook for the most up to date progress on garden, home, and family (fur babies included). You can also follow us on Pinterest for tasty recipes and DIY! Hope to see you there my friends!

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