Save Money by Making it Yourself

Columnist - Chelsea Ehrke

A common way to save money around the house is to make things yourself or do things as a family instead of hiring a professional. At our house, we cut our own firewood, paint our own walls, and bake our own bread. However, there are a lot of little things that may not even occur to you to do yourself. In the kitchen, we make as much from scratch as we can (and save a fortune doing it). This also gives us the ability to make items in bulk (a must with the big appetites around here) and leave out unhealthful additives, such as preservatives or fatty oils. Here are a few of our favorite do-it-yourself kitchen activities:

Whipped cream: Did you know you can make your own whipped cream? The day I walked into the kitchen and found my mother-in-law making whipped cream was pretty much life-changing. For some reason, I thought the pressure in the can was absolutely necessary to make the cream come out fluffy. Turns out, a hand-beater can get you the same result for a lot less money.

Granola: We mix oats, wheat germ, almonds, and sunflower seeds with olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Bake at about 250 degrees for 2 hours (stirring about every 15 minutes) for a lower-fat alternative to grocery store options. We like to add dried cranberries or blueberries to the finished product.

Barbecue sauce: Barbecue sauce, it turns out, is mostly ketchup (another thing you can actually make yourself). Vinegar, worcestershire sauce, habanero sauce, brown sugar, garlic, mustard, salt, tomato sauce beer, pepper and lime are other favorite additives for chefs around the world. Try several batches until you concoct your favorite (just be sure to keep track of what you're putting in there!).

Try a few of the above and cater them to your own family's preferences. You'll be amazed at how much money you'll save, and the fun you can actually have showing your children what really goes into the food they enjoy on a daily basis.

What are your favorite things to make from scratch?

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