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Living Frugally On A Budget

Updated on September 7, 2016

Do you ever wonder about how you can live more frugally on a budget? Budgets are easy to create, but sticking to one means that you have to do more things yourself, which sometimes means learning how to do new things by reading up on the subject. For instance, would you like to be able to do simple home repairs, then go the library and check out a few books on the subject. There are other things you can do at home on the cheap that require far less preparation, just as cooking most of your meals. Eating at a restaurant is over priced and time-consuming anyway, especially when you can make a meal a home much more expeditiously in a well-organized kitchen. Do you love to draw? Then you can make your own decorations. People that love to draw can even make their own scrapbook embellishments, which is quite a bit cheaper than buying these in packages. I am not saying you never have to hire others to complete services that you would not want to do yourself, such as cleaning out the gutters of your home. Nevertheless, you can save quite a bit of money by doing more things for yourself. For instance, this summer I finally learned how to use caulking glue and drill a shelf in the wall, and I feel so much more accomplished and fulfilled. Self-sufficiency is all about learning to take pride and ownership of what you can create with your own two hands.

Cooking At Home

I added flavor to regular spaghetti sauce by added onions and cilantro.
I added flavor to regular spaghetti sauce by added onions and cilantro.

Create delicious meals at home with simple and nutritious ingredients. For instance, I made a lovely pasta dish by sauteing onions, and then adding a bit of cilantro, peppers, garlic salt, and cut up tomatoes in a little bit of vegetable oil. Then I added a can of plain pasta sauce, but the fresh ingredients I added definitely dressed up this pasta dinner. Since I have almost always cooked my own meals, I actually enjoy eating what I make much more than when I go out to eat. Honestly, I am super cheap, and I do not see paying the price of a week's worth of groceries just to have one plate of food at a sit-down restaurant. I would rather make it at home for myself.

Decorate A Wood Box On The Cheap With Pyrography And Acrylic Paint

You can use pyrography and acrylic paint to decorate a wood box on the cheap. I love to draw my own pictures directly on the wood, and then use the pyrographic stylus to wood burn these onto box. Now I have a fancy looking box that I can use for my jewelry, or to gift to a friend.

Use pyrography decorations on a simple wood box to turn it into something special.
Use pyrography decorations on a simple wood box to turn it into something special.

Pyrography is also a fun way to decorate picture frames, or any other plain wood item that you like to display. Why not jazz up these plain wood pieces with some pyrographic art.  Below is a video where i demonstrate how to wood burn palm trees on a wooden coat rack, which I use to store my necklaces on.

The above video is the first video where I began wood burning the palm trees on the wooden jewelry rack.

Here is the second video where I continue slowly, but carefully, wood burning the palm trees on the rack.

This is what the completed jewelry rack looked like with the palm trees wood burned all the way across the surface.

Make You Own Scrapbook On The Cheap

If you love to draw and paint, you can use a scrapbook to store your beautiful works of art.
If you love to draw and paint, you can use a scrapbook to store your beautiful works of art.

You can use a scrapbook to store all of your all hand drawn art. There is no need to pay for scrapbook stickers and accessories if you draw your own illustration. I simply use adhesive tape and mod podge to attach my illustrations into the pages of my scrapbook.

Make Your Own Shamrock Decorations On The Cheap

I traced over my shamrock sketch with a black marker.
I traced over my shamrock sketch with a black marker.
I began coloring in the top leaf of my shamrock with a green marker.
I began coloring in the top leaf of my shamrock with a green marker.
I have now colored in the top leaf of my shamrock
I have now colored in the top leaf of my shamrock | Source
I have colored the top three leaves, and now I need to color the stem.
I have colored the top three leaves, and now I need to color the stem.
Now my entire shamrock is colored in.
Now my entire shamrock is colored in.
I carefully cut out my large Saint Patrick's Day shamrock decoration.
I carefully cut out my large Saint Patrick's Day shamrock decoration.

People often buy decorations at the store, but you can usually make these cheaply at home. For instance, you can make a shamrock by drawing three heart shaped leaves on a sheet of paper, and connect these to a small stem. I traced around my shamrock drawing with a black marker and colored it in with a dark green one. Now I have a large and decorative paper shamrock that I made with supplies I already had.

Here I demonstrate how to draw a shamrock by sketching three heart shaped leaves.

Here is the completed shamrock that I outlined with a black marker, and shaded in with a dark green marker. I love how bold markers look for coloring, although I prefer color pencils most of the time. Mix it up from time to time when it comes to drawing and making decorations by using different medias, which is what I do. Remember: making things at home can be fun and rewarding!

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