The
Frugal
Homeschooler
Molly Green
For Everything
Season Use empty egg and/or milk cartons to sow seeds, rather than buying expensive trays.
There Is a
(Frugal)
Frugal-minded homemakers— whether we’ve embraced a life- style of frugal living or are prac- ticing frugality long enough to
pay off a debt or save for future splurges
—know that planning ahead is key to
our success. As winter comes to an end
and change nips at our heels, here are
some of the ways we can plan ahead to
take advantage of the opportunities and
overcome the challenges that the season
of spring offers.
Plant a Garden
Grow your own vegetables, flowers, and
plants for landscaping, but don’t skip the
research. If you don’t already know, learn
more about which plants grow well in
your gardening zone ( www.garden.org//
zipzone). Consult your local agriculture
agent for information and advice. Begin-
ning with seeds takes more time, but it’s
the most cost-effective plan to follow.
Consider joining the Great American
Seed Swap group on Facebook (www
. facebook.com/groups/gassp) or swap
seeds with friends and/or neighbors.
Use empty egg and/or milk cartons to
sow seeds, rather than buying expensive
trays. Consider joining a garden co-op
in your community, or form one in your
neighborhood.
Avoid brand-name
cleaning products,
and make your own
solutions.
Build your own compost. Look for
gardening tips and special deals at stores
like Home Depot (www.homedepot
.com) and Lowe’s ( www.lowes.com).
Let your neighbors know you would be
interested in some of their cuttings or
seedlings when they trim their plants or
thin their gardens, and offer to exchange
them for some of yours. Consider joining
freecycle ( www.freecycle.org) to find free
plants in your area.
Prepare for Spring Cleaning
Avoid brand-name cleaning products,
and make your own solutions. A weak
bleach solution works just as well as
many of the brand-name products that
contain bleach. Many of my friends rave
about the effectiveness of a cleaning solution that contains equal parts Dawn
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